The Imjärvi humanoid
The account
Two Finnish skiers saw a light land in front of them, wrapped in mist, and out of it came a small being holding a glowing box.
What investigators found
There is no physical proof of the encounter, and later claims by one of the men, who said he had further contacts, weakened the case's credibility.
The story
Late in the afternoon of January 7, 1970, Aarno Heinonen and Esko Viljo were resting after skiing near the village of Imjärvi in southern Finland. According to the two men, they heard a buzzing sound and saw a light approach until it stopped a few meters away. The object released a reddish mist and a beam of light, inside which a short, pale creature supposedly appeared holding a box that gave off light.
Both said they felt unwell in the days that followed, and Heinonen reported numbness and pain. The case became the most famous encounter in the country. Skeptical researchers note that no trace was left at the site and that, years later, Heinonen began recounting many other contacts, which led some ufologists to treat the story with caution.