The Armando Valdés Case
A Chilean army corporal walked towards strange lights and vanished for 15 minutes. When he came back, he had a beard.
What was reported
Before dawn on 25 April 1977, a Chilean army patrol camped high on the plateau near Putre saw two violet lights descending nearby. Their leader, Corporal Armando Valdés, walked towards the lights alone, and, the soldiers said, simply disappeared.
About 15 minutes later he reappeared, confused, and collapsed. The soldiers said he now had several days' growth of beard, and that the date on his watch had jumped forward five days. The Chilean army allowed the soldiers to be interviewed by the press.
Explanations offered
No explanation has been confirmed. Sceptics suggest a hoax, a story that grew among the soldiers, or a medical episode at high altitude. Valdés later became reluctant to talk about it.
- When
- 25 April 1977
- Where
- Near Putre, Arica, Chile
- Witnesses
- Corporal Armando Valdés and his patrol
- Status
- Unexplained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.