Mothman
The winged harbinger of the Silver Bridge.
- Region
- Point Pleasant, West Virginia and the Ohio River valley
- Documented sightings
- 16 on map →
Overview
Mothman is a winged humanoid first reported around Point Pleasant, West Virginia between November 1966 and December 1967. The thirteen-month flap culminated in the catastrophic collapse of the Silver Bridge on December 15, 1967, killing 46 people — an event many residents and researchers connect to the sightings.
Identification
Approximately 7 feet tall with a broad humanoid frame, large folded wings that span 10 feet or more in flight, and circular glowing red eyes set into the chest or upper torso rather than a distinct head. Witnesses describe its flight as silent and effortless, capable of pacing automobiles at 100 miles per hour without visible wing strokes. No vocalizations have been reliably recorded.
Lore & Origin
The November 15, 1966 sighting at the abandoned TNT plant by two young couples — Roger and Linda Scarberry, Steve and Mary Mallette — was reported in the Point Pleasant Register the following day and triggered hundreds of follow-up accounts. John Keel's 1975 book "The Mothman Prophecies" framed the sightings as part of a wider paranormal pattern preceding the bridge collapse. Point Pleasant hosts an annual Mothman Festival each September.