The Alien Hitchhiker

Stranger than Fiction

In 1972, Erich Von Daniken published a sequel to his best-seller Chariots of the Gods entitled Return to The Stars. In it, he suggested that the Easter Island statues had been carved by a "stranded group" of aliens as "a sign to the friends who were looking for them".

That same year, an Argentinean motorist encountered an apparently stranded alien who bore more than a passing resemblance to the famous statues. Had the Cosmic Joker struck again?

A Statuesque Figure

easter island heads

Mechanic Eduardo Dedeu was driving home to Bahia Blanca early one August morning when his radio malfunctioned. He pulled over to examine it and noticed a tall man standing by the verge. Dedue asked him if he needed a lift, and the stranger silently climbed into the passenger seat.

The man wore an ordinary coat and an odd hat resembling a shallow helmet. His collar was turned up, obscuring his face. Nevertheless, Dedeu noticed that he had a peculiarly prominent chin - like that of the Easter Island statues - reaching down to his upper chest. The Argentinean attempted to make conversation with the stranger but was answered only with unintelligible grunts.

The Ship of Light

A few miles further down the road, the car's headlights failed. Again, Dedue pulled over to investigate the problem. He saw a large object radiating bright blue light blocking the road ahead. At first, he thought it was an overturned bus.

He stepped outside and was momentarily blinded by a brilliant flash of light, accompanied by a wave of intense heat. When he opened his eyes again, the strange object was heading skywards.

He returned to the car to find that the mysterious hitchhiker had vanished. The passenger-side door handle lay on the floor - as though it had simply been ripped off by the departing alien!

Sources

Andrew Donkin: Alien Encyclopedia, p73.
Alan Baker: Encyclopedia of Alien Encounters p30.
Albert Rosales's Humanoid Database