The 1981 Columbia River UFO Sighting: Sgt. Russell Yokum’s Unforgettable Encounter
On a cold January night in 1981, a quiet stretch of the Columbia River near St. Helens, Oregon, became the focal point of one of the most intriguing UFO sightings in Pacific Northwest history. The key witness? A respected police officer named Sgt. Russell Yokum of the St. Helens Police Department—an individual not prone to fantasy or exaggeration. What he and others reported that night remains unexplained to this day, and has since etched its place in UFO lore.
The Sighting
On the evening of January 5, 1981, at approximately 1:00 a.m., Sgt. Yokum was parked in his patrol car near the Columbia River, conducting a routine watch, when something unusual caught his attention. Above the river, a bright, pulsating light hovered silently in the sky. It wasn’t a plane, and it wasn’t behaving like a helicopter. It remained motionless for a time, then suddenly darted across the sky with incredible speed—before returning to the same position as if tethered to an invisible point.
Yokum radioed dispatch and requested that another officer, along with a local news photographer, come witness the event. When they arrived, they too observed the object. The photographer reportedly captured images, though their fate remains unclear. Most stunning of all, Yokum described the object as rotating slowly and emitting beams of colored light—red, blue, green, and white—which reflected eerily off the surface of the river.
Multiple Witnesses, Multiple Reports
Sgt. Yokum was far from the only one to see the phenomenon. Other officers on duty that night corroborated the event, including one who viewed the object through binoculars. In addition, civilian reports came in from across the region, many describing a similar object hovering or darting through the skies.
Yokum remained calm and professional throughout the event, even documenting it in official police logs and reports. His detailed account lends a rare credibility to the sighting, often missing in UFO reports. Unlike many encounters, this one included verifiable witness names, a chain of communication over police radio, and professional documentation.
The Sound of the UFO
One of the most amazing things about this incident is that Sgt. Yokum actually got the sound of the UFO recorded while making his radio contact. Here below in this YouTube video is the sound of the St. Helen’s UFO.
Media and Skepticism
Local media outlets picked up the story soon after, and for a time, the small Oregon town buzzed with speculation. Was it a military aircraft? A secret surveillance drone? Something otherworldly?
Skeptics suggested the object could have been a star distorted by atmospheric conditions or an experimental aircraft out of nearby military installations. However, no official explanation was ever provided, and the behavior described—instantaneous movements, perfect hovering, multicolored lights, and total silence—doesn’t match any known aircraft, then or now.
A Lasting Mystery
Despite attempts to explain the sighting, the 1981 Columbia River UFO encounter remains unsolved. Sgt. Russell Yokum never changed his story, and unlike many who’ve come forward with extraordinary claims, he never sought the spotlight. His reputation as a level-headed and reliable officer only deepened the mystery.
For UFO enthusiasts and researchers, the case remains a fascinating study: a high-credibility witness, corroborating accounts, photographic evidence (now lost or hidden), and a location not commonly associated with UFO activity.
Over four decades later, the Columbia River sighting continues to be discussed in UFO circles, serving as a reminder that some mysteries—no matter how grounded in solid witness testimony—refuse to be easily explained.
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