The Creatures of Hockomock Swamp
Located in the area known as the Bridgewater Triangle, in Massachusetts, the Hockomock Swamp is a 200-square-mile murky wetland with a bloody past and a perplexing present. For decades, local paranormal expert, Chris Pittman, has documented bizarre UFO sightings, cryptid encounters, and hauntings in the area. And now, for the first time, the Manzella family has come forward to speak of their bizarre experiences in the swamp’s mossy thickets and cemeteries—experiences that they cannot explain. Could the Hockomock Swamp be a portal to the unexplained?
If you have had a paranormal experience in the Bridgewater Triangle of Massachusetts, please go to unsolved.com.
Photos taken by Fanny Manzella.
SUBMIT A TIPDownload a transcript of this episode
Riva
In the winter of 2009, I moved to Massachusetts 16 years ago to be with my boyfriend, and he lives in Taunton which is almost in the center of the Bridgewater Triangle and not too far away from the Raynham Dog Track (now demolished) where the Hockomock Swamp is. One night in the following spring that I moved there, I was driving home after going to Taco Bell for dinner and I was coming up King Philip Street in Raynham and was about to turn onto Thrasher St. where the WM-Raynham Transfer Station is when I noticed in this unusual object in the sky along the tree line. It was the bright orange color and at first, I thought what I was seeing was a streetlight, but then I noticed that it was moving at a slow pace, much slower than an airplane and it didn’t have any of the normal flashing lights you would see on an airplane at nighttime it was just one single color. I honestly wanted to try and see this a bit better and that I wasn’t letting my overactive imagination run away with me, so I went up King Philip Street a bit more until I pulled off to this small patch of grovel road off to the right side next to Aggregate Industries and got out to take a better look. When I got out, I kept staring at this thing wondering if what I was seeing was actually real. Then all of a sudden it blinked out and I looked around wondering where this thing went or if it was even then and suddenly it reappeared again but much further away than it was before and it did it once more and at that point, I was honestly done being curious, so I got back in my car and went home. I never told anyone as I didn’t think anyone would believe me until a couple of years ago I was watching a series (can’t remember the name of it) on Max that did investigations into not just paranormal but also conspiracy theories and bigfoot and UFOs and this one particular episode was of them investigating UFOs in New England and I believe it was in New Hemisphere and they all set up with their tech stuff and cameras and were watching the horizon when all of a sudden the same orange ball of light appeared moving in the same slow pace of movement that I saw all those years ago and my jaw just dropped as I gasped. I was so relieved that others had seen and actually got on film the same object I saw all those years ago.
Ryan todd
I’m listening to the episode on podcast right now and this is so similar to what I saw in Mobile Alabama the way she Describes the detail of the hair and body gives me chills I’ve done research and never Seen or heard of a story similar to mine until now
Bob K.
I grew up in the triangle not far from the “Nip”. Sometime in the summer of either 1977 or 1978, my best friend and I were heading through an overgrown path/road that power lines run over. It’s an short stretch that runs between Pine St. and Rt. 24 in Bridgewater. It’s just past where Old Pleasant St ends because it had been cut off when rt. 24 was built. We were heading to then, Howard Johnson’s on the southbound side to meet up with a friend who worked there. As we started through the brush we heard tree branches breaking and being snapped. Not little branches but larger trees and branches being trampled through and over. We froze in our tracks as whatever it was seemed to be getting closer. Next, there was the most chilling screech I have ever heard as it was about at the edge of the tree line. I t was more than enough to break our cement feet as we ran as fast as possible back to his house. After shaking through about half a pack of cigarettes and calming down, my friends sister told us she’d never seen anyone as pale and shaken as we were. He and I were pretty convinced we’d encountered what we had always referred to as the Hocomock Swamp Monster.
Catherine B.
When I lived in Myricks mass (part of Berkley Mass. ) I use to see the clan of devil worshipers going through the backfield behind my house with their black hooded capes on, chanting and carrying lanterns. Also, there were strange lanterns coming down the dirt road next to the church off of Rt. 79 in Myricks.
Trent Gobble
Amazing!! What time frame was this?? I was out Coon hunting one night (fall of 88-89) and I snuck up on a black mass in the middle of the woods, WAY out in the woods and with all the Satanic Panic going on back then I was scared to death!!! Very very interested in hearing about your experience in more detail if you have time. Thanx
A.K.S.
I grew up in Abington, one of the points of the triangle. I’ve never had any UFO or bigfoot experiences personally, however, I have had my own involving what I assume would be Pukwudgies, once in the early 2000’s and again near my current home which is about 20 miles from Freetown about 3 years ago. My mother has also told me of a friend of hers that has had what they assume was a bigfoot type creature pound the roof of the car leaving dents, and remembers the attacks made on someone’s livestock just down the road from our family’s house that was supposed to have involved the infamous black dog, both occuring in the 70’s.
Christopher Balzano
I would love to hear more about your pukwudgie experience.
RowanMoon
This episode calls for a follow-up on Chris Pittman and his research: things that happened to him: his files disappearing, the helicopters, emails, etc.
No Name
Is this possibly connected to the Dover Demon? It seems like these events happened around the same area. For those who don’t know, two kids saw this white creature with tendril fingers, a large head and a glowing eyes in Dover, MA. Dover seems to be near the Hockomock swamp.
Christopher Balzano
The boundaries of the Triangle are fluid. Even though Dover is pretty far outside those lines, there always seems to be little tentacles that reach out.
NotWebster
Hey, there’s a typo on this page. The hockomock swamp is a “200-square-MILE area” not a 200-sq-FOOT area in bridgewater mass. Just giving h you a heads up… I imagine most cryptids might need more than a 10x20ft area to call home!!
Unsolved Mysteries Post author
Great catch! We’ve edited the post. Thank you for your detective skills!
Kimberly
I believe her, but I strongly believe that the devil always uses things that throughout the years we created to believe and he manipulates our minds when it is him and his demons who hide is disguise.
Ali
Carol and I just listened to this together. It was fascinating. We know Fanny and believe every word of this.
Natalie
Love this thinks love to see ?well hear more of this