Antônio Villas Boas
A young farmer ploughing at night said an egg-shaped craft landed in his field and he was taken on board.
What was reported
Antônio Villas Boas was a 23-year-old farmer who ploughed at night to avoid the heat. He said that in the early hours of 16 October 1957, an egg-shaped craft with a red light landed in front of his tractor. When the engine died and he tried to run, small figures in grey suits and helmets caught him and took him aboard.
Inside, he said, they took a blood sample, and he met a woman who looked almost human. Months later he was examined by a doctor in Rio de Janeiro, who noted marks on his skin and symptoms he thought might be linked to radiation.
Explanations offered
His account, published in the 1960s, became one of the first widely known abduction stories. Sceptics suggest a dream, a fantasy, or the influence of stories in popular magazines. He never changed his account and later became a lawyer. There's no physical evidence beyond the doctor's notes.
- When
- 16 October 1957
- Where
- Near São Francisco de Sales, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Witnesses
- Antônio Villas Boas alone
- Status
- Disputed
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.