Vanishing fisherman and black triangle inside an Alaska mountain base
A caller who gives their name as [quote withheld] tells Art Bell a firsthand story they say happened about four years earlier. It involved a trip inside a military base built into a mountain near Anchorage, Alaska. The caller says they saw a man fishing late at night at a lake inside the mountain. The man looked past them and then vanished when a black triangle vehicle appeared overhead. The story ends without an answer, and the host comments on how strange it is.
This clip comes from the source recording. AI chose where it starts and ends, so it may start or end a little early or late. The word-for-word transcript is not published. You can hear the source recording on the Internet Archive (file “Ghost to Ghost 2000-2.mp3”, starting at 43:07). Is this you, or someone you know? Ask for a correction or removal.
The story as told
The caller, [quote withheld] tells Art Bell a firsthand story they say happened about four years earlier, near Anchorage, Alaska. The caller says a friend who worked on the Alaska Railroad arranged for them to ride a train of about 20 minutes into a military base built inside a 10,000-foot mountain about 70 miles southeast of Anchorage. The caller describes three buildings inside, including a military hospital and a bar, plus a small lake, with constant wind. One night around 1 a.m., after their friend went to bed, they went outside and saw a flickering light near the lake. The caller says they saw a man in a train-worker outfit fishing quietly with a lantern, humming or chanting. The friend had earlier told them not to fish in that water because it was [quote withheld] The caller walked up and asked if the man was catching anything. The man looked past or through them and then up. The caller turned and looked up at the inside of the mountain. They saw what they thought might be a small red light, then heard a compression-like sound and saw a black triangle vehicle. When they turned back, the fisherman was gone. The caller says there was no rod or reel. The vehicle came down, twirled, shot back up, and vanished. The caller says they wished it had landed, and the host remarks on how weird it is. The story ends without an answer.
Reported events, in order
- 0:15
The caller says a friend who worked on the Alaska Railroad arranged for them to take a special trip.
- 0:24
The caller says the trip was probably about 70 miles southeast of Anchorage.
- 0:36
The caller describes a base built inside a mountain, which they call kind of a military base.
- 1:00
The caller describes a railroad trip of about 20 minutes into the mountain.
- 1:19
The caller says there were three buildings inside, including a military hospital and a bar, plus a small lake.
- 1:33
The caller says the winds inside the mountain never stopped.
- 2:41
One late night around 1 a.m., after their friend went to bed, they went outside and crossed the parking lot.
- 2:51
The caller says they saw a flickering light near the little lake or river.
- 3:05
The caller says they saw a man in a train-worker outfit fishing quietly with a lantern.
- 3:25
The caller says the man seemed to be humming or chanting quietly.
- 3:37
The caller walked up and asked the man whether he was catching anything.
- 3:44
The man looked past or through them and then up.
- 4:00
The caller looked up and thought they saw a small red light.
- 4:07
The caller heard a compression-like sound and saw a black triangle vehicle.
- 4:19
When the caller turned back, the fisherman was gone.
- 4:44
The caller says there was no rod or reel left behind.
- 4:42
The caller says they almost felt as if they themselves were being lifted up.
- 4:51
The vehicle came down, twirled, shot back up, and disappeared.
- 4:57
The caller says they wished the vehicle had landed. The story ends without an answer.
Claims
Each claim is labeled as something the person telling the story noticed (observation), what they made of it (interpretation), something others told them (hearsay), or something the host said (host statement).
- observation· 3:05
The caller says they saw someone fishing in the water late at night.
- observation· 3:14
The caller describes the fisherman as a man in a train-worker outfit.
- observation· 3:44
The caller says the fisherman looked past or through them and then up.
- observation· 4:00
The caller says they saw what they thought might be a small red light.
- observation· 4:07
The caller says they heard a compression-like sound.
- observation· 4:15
The caller says they saw a black triangle vehicle.
- interpretation· 4:19
The caller says the story went from a ghost story to a UFO story.
- observation· 4:44
The caller says that after they turned back, the fisherman and his fishing gear were gone.
- observation· 4:42
The caller says they felt as if they themselves were being lifted up.
- observation· 4:51
The caller says the vehicle came down, twirled, shot back up, and disappeared.
- hearsay· 2:59
The caller says their friend had warned them not to fish in that water.
Scores, with reasons
An AI model gave these scores using a fixed set of scoring rules (scoring-v1). They are editorial judgments and rough guides, not the odds that anything paranormal happened. How scoring works.
The story is firsthand and coherent, with several specific details. But no one else backs it up, and an easy ordinary explanation is not addressed.
Evidence for and against
- The caller presents the story as their own direct experience.
- The sequence includes concrete details of setting and time.
- No one else backs up the story. No second witness speaks on air.
- A military base is a plausible place to mistake aircraft or personnel for something else.
- Some labels showing who is speaking are likely mixed up between host and caller.
- A few transcribed words and phrases are unclear.
- 0:15
- 2:41
What the model inferred (not said on air): The score reflects the parts of the scoring guide: firsthand closeness, moderate specificity, a coherent sequence, limited consideration of other explanations, and some calibration.
The only support is the caller’s word. No independent check, recording, photograph, or confirmation on air is present.
Evidence for and against
- Some general place details could in principle be checked, such as Anchorage and the Alaska Railroad.
- No physical evidence is presented or examined.
- No second witness speaks on air.
- The base and the location of the event are not named specifically enough to check.
- 2:16
What the model inferred (not said on air): The score is low because the transcript supplies no verified or verifiable evidence beyond the story itself.
The story is eerie and unsettling because of the isolated setting, the vanishing figure, and the unexplained craft. But it has no threat, harm, or lasting dread.
Evidence for and against
- The setting is a remote military base inside a mountain at night.
- A fisherman vanishes and a black triangle vehicle appears overhead.
- No threatening or hostile behavior is described.
- The caller stays curious rather than frightened.
- The fisherman’s disappearance is reported through an unfinished sentence and a remark from the host.
- 2:41
- 4:25
What the model inferred (not said on air): The score reflects mood and an unresolved intrusion rather than any claim of danger.
The story combines familiar elements in a distinctive setting and order, though the separate themes are not unique.
Evidence for and against
- A ghost-like fisherman inside a mountain military base, together with a black triangle vehicle, is an unusual combination.
- Vanishing figures and black triangle craft are each familiar themes.
- The published originality score may be adjusted when it is compared with the rest of the archive.
- 4:19
What the model inferred (not said on air): The score is a first judgment from the transcript content. Comparison with the rest of the archive would require the full archive.
Scoring confidence 0.70 · analysis confidence 0.75 · checked against outside sources: no · evidence available: The caller’s firsthand word.; No physical evidence. The caller says cameras were not allowed.; No second witness speaks on air.. The originality score blends the model's score (75) with how rare the story's details are across the archive. This method is still provisional.
Ordinary explanations to consider
These are possibilities only. None is a finding about what happened.
- Military or experimental aircraft operating in the area. · The reported setting is a military base, and the object is described as a black triangle vehicle. A secret or experimental aircraft could fit some details.
- Misperception, or missing the moment an ordinary worker left. · A person fishing at 1 a.m. could have walked away while the caller looked up. The caller says they then saw no rod or reel, but they did not see the person leave.
- Wind, darkness, and poor visibility affecting how sounds and shapes were perceived. · The caller describes constant wind and darkness, conditions that can distort sounds and visual details at a distance.
What stands out
The story moves from what seems to be a ghost story about a vanishing fisherman to a UFO-style black triangle vehicle, all inside a reported military base built into an Alaska mountain.
Related stories
Matched by shared recurring details, categories, and wording.