I received the following encounter report today:
Hello - I want to thank you in advance for reading my story. In 1981 I was working for a contractor as a masonry apprentice after leaving trade school. That summer, we were working at Mystic Caverns in northern Arkansas. We were upgrading tour trails in the caves.
On a Friday, it was getting close to quitting time. So myself and another guy had to go through the work area and make sure that all the tools were collected and that the safety barriers were in place. We weren't working during the weekend, so the work area had to be tightened up before we left. The guy who was with me had to leave - I forgot why, so I was down there by myself for a while.
I was almost finished loading the cart when I heard faint pounding sounds coming from deeper in the cavern. I thought that maybe one of the crew may still be in the cave, so I yelled out. The banging stopped and it was quiet. Then I started to hear slapping sounds for a few seconds - then it got quiet again. I yelled out again. I didn't get a response so I figured it was cave critters or bats. I started to make my way out.
There was an area that I came upon, where on the right of the railing it dropped off into a depression. There was some lighting but difficult to see the bottom of the depression. As I passed by, I heard splashing sounds coming from the depression. I stopped and I got a glimpse of something on two legs walking in the water below. Further away there was a section of the cavern that opened up and was well lit. As I watched, the splashing continued - then I saw this thing moving out of the shadows moving away from me.
The only way I can describe it was something walking on two legs with large frog feet. It stood about 5 ft and was dark grayish-green. The head was large and rounded, though it never turned around, so I can't give much detail of the face. The body was thick in the chest but narrow at the waist and hips. It bent at the knees when it stepped and had shiny skin resembling a frog. I didn't notice any hair. I didn't hear any vocals, just the splashing as it moved away from me. I'd estimate that it was 70 or so ft. from me when I first got a good look at it. I wasn't scared - just stunned. I grabbed the cart and quickly made my way towards the entrance.
When we came back to work that next Monday, I didn't mention anything to anyone. I kept a sharp watch for anything out of the ordinary. The job lasted a few more weeks and I didn't observed any other weird stuff.
A few weeks after this, I found out that one of my girlfriend's cousins worked at the caverns. He replaced lighting and did other odds & ends, so he was in the cavern a lot. When I got the chance to meet him, I asked if he had ever seen something weird in the cave. He said that he hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary. I told him I was just wondering. I didn't want to alarm him with details of what I saw.
I wasn't imagining this thing - and after all these years, I still get creeped out when I think of it. I have never heard or read about any other sightings in Mystic Caverns. What do you think this was?. Robert M.
NOTE: I received a follow-up email after I offered my opinion and asked permission to publish. The best known incidents that I can compared this to is the Loveland Frogman and the Thetis Lake Monster, though Robert only compared this humanoid to a frog when describing the legs and feet. One other account worth mentioning is the Zanfretta Alien Encounter. A reader once submitted an image of footprints in the snow that could have been similar to that of a frog. The Bishopville Monster is another reference of interest...BTW, an excellent book by Lyle Blackburn. I forwarded all of this to Robert...maybe it can help him answer lingering questions. What do you think? Lon
The Weiser Field Guide to Cryptozoology: Werewolves, Dragons, Skyfish, Lizard Men, and Other Fascinating Creatures Real and Mysterious
Lizard Man: The True Story of the Bishopville Monster
Phantoms & Monsters: Bizarre Encounters
Phantoms & Monsters: Cryptid Encounters
Phantoms & Monsters: Strange Encounters
