Sighting in Montreux, January 1, 2009

In the evening, several people standing on their balcony noticed white lights moving on the far side of Lake Geneva. The unusual lights intrigued them, so they took photographs and watched them through a spotting scope. The lights went out at 9:45 pm, after the first sighting at around 8 pm.

In daylight, the witnesses used their photographs to pinpoint exactly where they had been looking: the Pic de Boré, at the spot where a ski lift stands. GEIPAN's first hypothesis was that the white lights were the headlights of a snow groomer working that night. The witnesses later gave what appears to be the explanation: illuminated balloons had been used to light the ski slope that evening.

The case is classified B: probable sighting of illuminated balloons lighting a ski slope. It took place outside France, but the nearness of the border with the Haute-Savoie département and the well-documented questionnaire led to its publication for information.