Thai lanterns mistaken for UFOs in Saint-Maurice, 2014

Summary

In the early hours of 14 September 2014, several witnesses in Val-de-Marne spotted a dozen yellow luminous dots drifting slowly south-westward. The sighting was reported to the Air Transport Gendarmerie, which investigated closely given the rise in drone incidents at the time.

The investigation revealed that the dots were 35 Thai lanterns released to celebrate a civil partnership ceremony, an event previously authorised by the prefecture. GEIPAN classified the case as A, fully identified.