Have you ever considered being injured by a UFO? In 1981, 23-year-old Denise Bishop, a level-headed accountant from Plymouth, England, experienced just that. Before that fateful night, she’d never given much thought to UFOs, let alone read about them. But on September 10th, her reality shifted dramatically.
A Strange Encounter After Dark
Around 11:15 PM, as Denise walked up to her parents’ home in Weston Mill, Plymouth, something caught her eye. As she rounded a corner, heading to the back door, she spotted an unusual light behind the house. Venturing closer, she was met with a sight that would forever change her perception: a huge UFO hovering over the hill behind her parents’ house, resembling “a crab’s body.” Despite its estimated 40-meter width, it was eerily silent.
The Eerie Light Beam
Denise recounted that the object was a “dull metallic grey” with “six or seven beams of intense light” emanating from its underside, bathing the rooftops below in soft shades of pink, purple, and white. She was instantly gripped by fear. As she reached for the back door handle, a green beam shot out from the side of the craft and hit her hand. She was instantly paralyzed for what felt like 30 seconds. Despite her fear, she described the UFO as a captivating spectacle. When the beam stopped, it was like “a movie was paused and then restarted.” 
The Aftermath and Unusual Mark
She then rushed inside, and glanced back to see the UFO ascending and fading away. When she rubbed her hand, it started stinging. Looking closer, she noticed what appeared to be blood, and after washing it, she found a burn. The next day, Denise’s sister’s boyfriend, John Greenwell, suggested reporting the incident to the police. The police were dismissive, and simply gave them the contact information for Bob Boyd, of the Plymouth UFO Research Group.
Investigations and Odd Pet Behavior
Boyd’s investigation revealed a burn on Denise’s hand, characterized by glossy skin surrounded by blood and bruising. It looked as if the outer skin had been removed. This left Denise worried and frightened, wondering if she would be targeted again. Surprisingly, while no residents reported seeing the object or experiencing electronic interference, three people mentioned that their pets behaved strangely around the time of the event.
One neighbor reported that her dog ran upstairs and refused to come down. Another couple said their dog was acting very agitated, moving its toys into its kennel and then sitting with its ears and tail down, appearing anxious.
Confirmation and Laser Burn
The local newspaper, The Western Evening Herald, reported on Denise’s case on October 28th, showing photos of Denise and her burn, a white mark on the back of her hand. A London hospital consultant noted that it looked like a laser burn and such burns often have a 48-hour delay in healing. Denise’s burn was indeed this way, starting out as very painful and raw, but was completely scabbed over within a few days, and eventually faded to a light red mark. The day after the newspaper article, Denise received a phone call from an elderly woman who claimed to have seen a UFO that night, which had three beams.
One UFO or Two?
Witness testimonies about UFOs often vary, and they have been seen to change shape so it can’t be said whether one or two UFOs were seen on the night of September 10/11 in Weston Mill.
