Monday Mystery: The Oakville Blobs

by Howie Decker @HowardTheDeck on November 5, 2012

in Nerd Culture

Oakville, Washington is a rainy town.

 

That’s why none of the town’s 665 inhabitants were surprised to wake up on August 7, 1994 to find it had rained during the night. The rain began around 3am that morning, and on-duty Officer David Lacey of the Oakville Police Dept. was one of the only people awake at the time.

When he turned on his windshield wipers, he noticed that the rain was actually clear blobs, and they were smearing, obscuring his view. He pulled over to investigate.

What he discovered was a Jell-O-like substance.

The clear gelatinous blobs had fallen all over town, in lieu of rain.

That afternoon, a large portion of the town’s population fell ill, with extreme flu-like symptoms. Some of these symptoms lasted from 7 weeks to 3 months. Several dogs and cats died from coming in contact with the blobs.

A sample of the gelatinous substance was taken to the Washington State Department of Health for testing. Researchers found human white blood cells and digestive bacteria in the sample. Private researchers later found that cells in the samples indicate the blobs were once alive.

The story was featured on Unsolved Mysteries in 1997:

 

The same blobs rained down five more times over a 3 week time frame, disproving the theory of an airliner illegally emptying its waste, or the especially far-fetched explanation dealing with a naval bombing run resulting in jellyfish blasted into the atmosphere, landing 50 miles inland.

What do you think of this mystery? Government testing of biological warfare? An experiment? Alien activity? Certainly convenient that the “rain” began at 3am, with everyone asleep- and that it has only occurred in a town of 665 people.

Hit the comments with your thoughts or similar mysterious cases you’ve heard of!

 

 

Brian Morin November 5, 2012 at 12:11 am

I’ve heard of this someplace before. Really strange. I wish I had some theory about what it was. I’m just glad it hasn’t happened to my town.

Howie Decker November 5, 2012 at 2:14 pm

maybe you should show the unsolved mysteries video in class and make it a bonus question on Mr. Morin’s next test. 🙂

Kevin Hellions November 5, 2012 at 12:38 am

Failed biological weapons test.

Howie Decker November 5, 2012 at 2:14 pm

absolutely agree. The other explanations are comical.

Jess November 5, 2012 at 2:00 am

I’m going with biological, the blob looks a bit manufactured

Howie Decker November 5, 2012 at 2:13 pm

I agree. It’s just amazing to me that so many things like this happen throughout the course of history and the majority of the world never knows about them. (which is probably on purpose)

Tom November 5, 2012 at 6:14 pm

I’m sure the government would never test biological weapons on it’s own people…

Lamar The Revenger November 5, 2012 at 9:43 pm

Magnolia?

Sunny Barclift March 10, 2013 at 1:42 pm

Whoever posted the photo at the top of the page showing a large mass of gelatinous stuff with something inside it……the photo has nothing to do with what happened in Oakville. I do not know where this photo came from. Any questions contact me at my email address icollect22003@gmail.com.

Thanks,

Sunny Barclift

Howie Decker March 10, 2013 at 3:00 pm

Good catch! It’s a screenshot from the Unsolved Mysteries ep about Oakville. (a reenactment)

Sunny Barclift May 28, 2013 at 4:45 am

Not the photo of the large blobule with debris or whatever inside it. The one at the bottom is the UM screen shot. I know because I was there. I investigated it. I reported it. Making my way around the internet trying to preserve the integrity of the event. I collected the samples and submitted them to Washington State Department of Health, Washington State Department of Ecology/Environmental Agency, Am-Test Laboratories (submitted by my Mother, Dotty Hearn),US Weather Service (Olympia, Wa.), and reported the substance to the Research and Technology Division of the FAA, Renton Wa. The screen shot from the UM segment was manufactured by their special effects guy (Patrick Denver, son of Bob Denver). For an televised update to this event you can google Paranatural National Geographic Channel “Blood Rain and Star Jelly”. The two women who were interviewed did not know of the substance until I told them about it so they were not first-hand witnesses. However, the interview conducted with Mike McDowell, the epidymiologist who studied the substance on behalf of the Wash State Health Dept had some very interesting comments to make. It bears watching if you have any interest in this topic.

Howard Decker May 28, 2013 at 9:32 am

That’s great info Sunny, thank you very much for finding this post and taking the time to leave that info. Are there any new solid theories as to what it was?

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