Sighting in Pouillon, August 14, 2022

Between 11:00 and 11:10 pm, the witness, at home, saw a very bright, large-looking, round light. It was yellow with a little red around the edge, and it was coming toward them at low altitude. The witness watched it with their spouse for about 20 seconds. Its brightness gradually faded until it vanished into the dark night.

About 30 seconds later, an identical object appeared in the same spot and followed the same path, and then a third one did the same. Only one witness account was collected.

The investigation concluded that the witness most probably saw three sky lanterns. Several points supported this: the yellow color mixed with red; the way the light disappeared by slowly dimming, which matches a flame dying out; the direction and heading of the movement, consistent with the wind reported by the Dax weather station, 11 km from the observation point; the weak wind (4 km/h), since lanterns are not released in strong wind; and the fact that the sighting took place on the eve of a public holiday. The case was classified A: sky lanterns.