YEAR: 1969

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: August

STATE: West Virginia

COUNTY: McDowell County

LOCATION DETAILS: This creature has been seen in Slate Creek...up Shop Hollow...locals would be able to give you directions...you would need to backpack into Slate Creek.

NEAREST TOWN: WAR

NEAREST ROAD: Warriormine...to Shophollow rd.

OBSERVED: The year was 1969, it was a very dry August, my sister and I were going to the store she chose to walk by way of the dirt road I chose to walk down the path from my grandparents home up on the side of a hill....I was watching my sister from up on the path as she walked on the road ...this was approx. 200 yrds above her...when she passed the well...a natural spring this creature stood up...it was tall, broad shouldered with arms hanging to below its knees...it was hairy but..not thick hair..I could see skin on it's back...I screamed for my sister to run...she turned toward me...saw this creature and ran..I can still see dust rise from her feet as she ran...this creature immediately stooped back down and entered the brush along side the creek below ne...it moved faster than anything that large should be able to move...We told our Grandmother..she said it had always been there and was just getting water...she also said that her dogs were scared to come out from under the house when it was around...she said it liked to wander around on damp rainy nights...This is no hoax...I am a science major, a registered nurse, who remembers an incident that can not be explained unless Bigfoot is real...I believe we saw a Bigfoot and I believe he still lives up Shop Hollow...Slate Creek area in Mcdowell County.

ALSO NOTICED: told stories from other mountain people...told that it was unusual that this creature was out in broad daylight...

OTHER WITNESSES: two...just walking not expecting anything like this....we have talked about this incident for 30 yrs!

OTHER STORIES: Many,,,I do not live there now but have been told many RELIABLE stories, from people who have no reason to lie, and consider lieing a sin.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: About noon or 1300..hot unusually hot...dry with no rain...the creek had dried up...that I remember...there are caves near where this creature entered the brush...I never went near those caves again as a child or adult.

ENVIRONMENT: Mountain area sparsely populated.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Russ Jones:

I talked with the witness, a 50 year-old ER nurse, about her experience that happened when she was 9 years old. She described the creature as being "gangly". It was at least 7 feet tall with reddish brown hair. The hair was longer on the shoulders and back and thin enough in some spots to see through. Compared to a human, the arms were longer in proportion. This is a very rural area in the southernmost portion of West Virginia. Steep, rugged, rocky and inhospitable terrain. She mentioned there being many old mine openings, in addition to caves.

The incident still seems like yesterday to the witness, and she and her sister talk often about the experience.

About BFRO Investigator Russ Jones:

Dr. Jones brings a background of hunting, trapping and outdoor experiences together with undergraduate and graduate education. He is a master naturalist and has attended numerous public and private expeditions. He has led expeditions for the BFRO in Ohio and West Virginia. He has written two Bigfoot books, the last “The Appalachian Bigfoot” was an Amazon best selling book. He hosts the Wide Open Research Podcast on the Untold Radio Network. Dr. Jones may be contacted at [email protected]