Sighting in Puilboreau, September 24, 2023

A witness and their spouse were in their garden when they noticed a light resembling Venus in the north-east, about 45° above the horizon. It stayed still at first, then drifted very slowly to the left. Shortly afterwards, in the same part of the sky, the witness saw three more unidentified aerospace phenomena. They were spherical, looked metallic and reflected sunlight. Flying in a triangular formation, they moved from east to west at a speed similar to that of an aircraft at altitude. The witness saw no navigation lights, no flashing and no condensation trail.

The GEIPAN rated the case's consistency as medium: only one of the two witnesses completed the questionnaire, and there is no photo or video. Of the explanations explored, only Mylar balloons were retained, since their characteristics match the description: a spherical shape, a highly reflective metallic surface, and a straight path in the direction of the wind. The balloons may have been released or lost from the town's rugby stadium to celebrate the home team's win, after a match that ended around 4:55 pm, even though the sighting began almost two hours later. They may also have been released earlier at a private celebration. The case was classified B: probable Mylar balloons.