Laredo UFO Conference Features UFO Abductee Travis Walton and UFO Researcher Noe Torres

Sept. 8, 2011 - PRLog -- Travis Walton, who tells the amazing story of being abducted by extraterrestrials and held captive for five days, will speak at the first-ever “Laredo UFO Conference,” on Saturday, November 5, 2011 at Texas A & M International University, 5201 University Boulevard, in Laredo, Texas.  In addition to Walton, whose experience inspired the 1993 hit movie Fire in the Sky, the Laredo UFO conference will also feature UFO researcher Noe Torres, author of a new book called Fallen Angel: UFO Crash Near Laredo, Texas. Also at the conference, the Laredo Paranormal Research Society (LPRS) will present its latest findings on UFO cases in the Laredo area. The Laredo UFO Conference is sponsored by the Webb County Heritage Foundation, and registration is available online at http://www.webbheritage.org.

On the evening of November 5, 1975, 22-year-old Travis Walton was among a group of loggers in the mountains of northeastern Arizona that observed a strange, unusually bright light hovering over the forest. Overcome by curiosity, Walton left the safety of the loggers’ truck and walked toward the source of the light. He was suddenly blasted by an energy bolt of unknown composition. When his companions observed this, they fled in fear, leaving Walton behind in the forest. After the departed loggers reported the incident to local law enforcement, a massive search was conducted for Walton, but he was not found until five days later, huddled inside a phone booth, disoriented and confused. He later revealed that, after being struck by the strange light beam, he had awakened inside a kind of hospital, where he was surrounded by unusual creatures that were clearly not human.  After spending time in this bizarre environment, Walton was rendered unconscious by his captors and returned to Arizona.

Walton’s encounter is one of the world’s most studied and best known UFO abduction cases. He travels all over the world telling his story at UFO conferences and events. His appearance in Laredo is a rare opportunity for South Texas residents to hear first-hand the inside details of one of the most thrilling and well-researched UFO abduction cases.

Prior to Walton’s appearance at the Laredo UFO Conference, author-researcher Noe Torres will present three lectures about other historic UFO cases.  Torres will present “Fallen Angel: UFO Crash near Laredo, Texas." On July 7, 1948, U.S. military aircraft chased a fast-moving, 90-foot-diameter silver disc across Texas before watching it crash about 30 miles south-southwest of Laredo, Texas. Known as the "Laredo UFO Crash," this case occurred almost exactly one year after the famous Roswell UFO Incident and holds much of the same mystery and intrigue. Torres has written a book and a Wikipedia article about the case.

Torres will then present "The Real Cowboys & Aliens: UFO Encounters of the Old West." Before the comic books and Hollywood blockbuster, cowboys in the American West really did report seeing unidentified flying saucers. Torres, author of a new book about UFO cases from the 1800s, tells several remarkable tales of these Wild West UFO sightings. Did you know that a strange flying object fell out of the sky in Aurora, Texas, in 1897? The citizens of Aurora said the dead pilot was “not of this world,” and they buried him in the local cemetery, where he may still remain today. You will also hear about other strange encounters, such as a flying prehistoric monster, an “underwater UFO” that electrocuted two men, a Bigfoot creature that came to earth in a “small moon;” a UFO that exploded over a Texas cotton gin, and many other bizarre UFO encounters of the Old West.

Torres’ last presentation will be “1955 UFO Crash on the Texas-Mexico Border.”  Shocking eyewitness testimony that is just as riveting as the story of the Roswell UFO incident. On a clear spring day in 1955, Air Force pilot Robert Willingham was flying an F-86 fighter jet across West Texas when he saw an object "as bright as a star" streak past him and then execute a 90-degree turn going 2,000 miles per hour. Giving chase in his jet, the decorated World War II and Korean War veteran watched in awe as the object suddenly plummeted to Earth near Del Rio, Texas. Soon after, he visited the crash site and saw a large, silver UFO impacted into the side of a sandy hill. Nothing could have prepared him for what happened next, as his life was about to change forever. The presentation includes audio and video clips of Colonel Willingham, who is now in his eighties.  

Torres is director of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) for Laredo and all of South Texas. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s degree in Library Science from the University of Texas at Austin and has authored seven books and a motion picture screenplay. He has written three books about major UFO cases along the Texas-Mexico Border: Mexico's Roswell: The Chihuahua UFO Crash (2007), The Other Roswell: UFO Crash on the Texas-Mexico Border (2008), and Fallen Angel: UFO Crash Near Laredo, Texas (2011). He is also the author of the widely-acclaimed Ultimate Guide to the Roswell UFO Crash (2010), which he also released in Spanish, and The Real Cowboys & Aliens: UFO Encounters of the Old West (2011), co-written with Roswell historian John LeMay.

Torres has appeared on the History Channel's "UFO Hunters," Coast to Coast AM with George Noory, the Jeff Rense program, the Captain Jack show on Badlands Radio and many other media outlets. He is also a frequent lecturer at UFO conferences and events. In his research, he has collaborated with a number of other researchers including Stanton Friedman, Dr. Bruce Maccabee, and Kevin Randle. More information about Torres and his books can be found at http://www.roswellbooks.com.

In addition to the programs by Travis Walton and Noe Torres, the Laredo UFO Conference will also feature a presentation at by the Laredo Paranormal Research Society (LPRS) regarding UFO cases that have occurred recently in Laredo and surrounding areas.  The LPRS will present evidence that the Laredo area has actually been a hotspot for UFO activity over the past few years. Frequently called upon to investigate paranormal activity in Laredo, the LPRS has recently contributed their research findings to an exhibit called “Haunted Heritage” for the Webb County Heritage Foundation.

Registration for the Laredo UFO Conference is $20 General Admission advance purchase, $25 on the day of the event, and $30 for preferred seating. This conference is not recommended for children under 13. For more information call (956) 727-0977 or visit www.webbheritage.org.

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