An account in Haute-Savoie, France

On June 22, 2013 at 10:30 PM, two witnesses observed a series of perfectly aligned points of red and orange-yellow color, which seemed to pulse or blink in the direction of the summit of Sous-Dine (due south, see map). The phenomenon, initially static, disappeared quickly by merging into an orange mass. Only one testimony was collected, accompanied by photographs. The witness thinks he is observing to the southeast, but the Sous-Dine mountain is due south. The witness thinks he is observing objects above this mountain; it is highly likely that these objects are much closer, but the alignment above the mountain summit is misleading. Under the hypothesis of Thai lanterns, a brief analysis of the photos shows that these objects would be at a distance of 5 to 10 km from the witness, that is, between La Roche-sur-Foron and the mountain, at an altitude of 500m to 1000m higher than the witness (who is at 450m altitude). The weather records (Meteociel) from the neighboring cities of Geneva and Annecy show that evening a weak, very unstable wind: it is impossible to determine the wind direction at low altitude toward La Roche-sur-Foron that evening. The La Roche-sur-Foron tourist office told us that on June 22, the Fête de la Musique and the arrival of the Rallye des Bornes were taking place, but no release of Thai lanterns was reported (nor even to the Gendarmerie). For lack of possible verification of the wind with a precise weather record, and for lack of confirmation by local authorities, GEIPAN cannot confirm the hypothesis of white and red Thai lanterns (appearing yellow and red), although it is entirely compatible with the photos and the testimony. Pending new information, this case is classified "C".