Sighting in Antibes, September 11, 2010

At around 5:30 pm, several people noticed about ten bright white points moving slowly across the sky. The sighting lasted around ten minutes and no sound was heard. One of the witnesses took a photograph, which immediately suggested to the investigators that balloons might have been released.

Internet searches showed that a fashion show had taken place to the south-southwest of the observation site, as also reported in a local newspaper article. The show ended with a balloon release at about 5:30 pm, which the organiser confirmed when contacted by GEIPAN. A light wind from the south-southwest carried the balloons over the beach where the witnesses were. GEIPAN therefore classified the case as A: the witnesses had seen advertising balloons drifting across the sky.