Flying Cryptid Sighting – Kanawha Falls, WV

My favorite pastime back then was to fish the Kanawha River, especially near the falls and up river in the deep water.

On my way home, I stopped off the point downriver from the falls and walked around. It was overcast and starting to turn to dusk. As I looked upriver towards the falls I saw something flying over the river near the opposite bank. It was flying south along the bank over houses and the railroad tracks, then it banked and turned towards my direction. The closer it got to me I started to realize how large it was.

The body was black and was shaped like a cylinder tapered to a pair of short legs. The feet were tucked up so I was unable to describe those. It didn’t have much of a tail that I could see. The wings were wide and broad, but I never saw it flap. It was floating and barely moving the wings. It was the strangest thing I’ve ever seen. As I thought about it later the wing span was at least 20 feet. The texture was similar to leather though the low light made it difficult to see. I couldn’t see a defined head or other features as it flew above me and beyond the trees.

I wasn’t scared but amazed. I can’t even give you an idea of what this was. I never heard any sound.

I didn’t see it again. A week later I called my aunt who lives upstream from the falls and mentioned it to her. She said that she had never heard anything about large birds. I’m not sure this was an actual bird because it didn’t fly like one. It seemed to propel by other means.