The Loveland Frogman
Two police officers said they saw a frog-like creature by a river in Ohio. One later said it was a lizard.
What was reported
Early on 3 March 1972, a police officer driving beside the Little Miami River in Loveland, Ohio, said he saw an animal about a metre long crouched by the road. It stood up, he said, and leapt over the guard rail into the river. He described a leathery, frog-like face.
Two weeks later a second officer said he saw a similar creature crawling across the road. The 'Loveland Frogman' became a local legend, with a festival and even a musical.
Explanations offered
The second officer, Mark Matthews, later said the animal was a large lizard, probably an escaped pet, and that the story had been exaggerated. Most people now think it was a reptile seen briefly at night.
- When
- 3 March 1972
- Where
- Loveland, Ohio, USA
- Witnesses
- Two Loveland police officers
- Status
- Probably a lizard
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.