Mothman Returns — Silver Bridge Collapse Predicted by Winged Entity

The Mothman—a large winged humanoid with glowing red eyes—was reported extensively in Point Pleasant, West Virginia from November 1966 to December 1967. The creatures appearances are indelibly associated with the December 15, 1967 collapse of the Silver Bridge, which killed 46 people. In the 1980s and beyond, Mothman-like sightings have been reported globally in the lead-up to disasters. In 1986, workers at the Chernobyl nuclear plant reported seeing a large black winged entity with red eyes in the days before the April 26 explosion—accounts documented by investigators interviewing survivors. Sightings around the 9/11 attacks in New York were later reported by multiple witnesses who described a large black bird-like entity above the World Trade Center in the weeks prior. A wave of Mothman sightings was reported in Chicago in 2017, with over 55 documented accounts in a single year gathered by researcher Lon Strickler. The accumulation of disaster-preceding reports across multiple countries and cultures has led researchers to consider whether the Mothman represents an as-yet-unclassified creature, a paranormal intelligence, or some form of psychic phenomenon tied to locations of future catastrophe. Point Pleasant erected a 12-foot steel statue of the Mothman in 2003, and the town hosts an annual Mothman Festival.