See flying saucers and learn about the UFO legend in this Seattle neighborhood

DES MOINES, Wash. — Jets aren’t the only things in the skies over Des Moines, a Seattle suburb just outside SEA Airport. Keep an eye out for UFOs, too.

“I don’t think people realize that Des Moines has such a history with UFOs and UFO sightings,” said Jeff Powell of Explore Seattle Southside.

In 1947, Harold Dahl reported that while he was cruising the waters of the Des Moines Marina, six flying saucers rained hot metal down on him. The encounter was called the “Maury Island Incident” and is immortalized in a piece of art at 6th Avenue South and South 223rd Street in Des Moines.

“There is a whole story surrounding the mystery of the Maury Island incident. And this mural pays tribute to it and the aliens who were there that day,” Powell said.

The UFO sighting has raised another mystery.

“Before they were called the Men in Black, a mysterious man showed up one day and talked to Harold Dahl about what he had seen and said, ‘You shouldn’t tell anyone about this,'” Powell said.

But someone spoke, and the legend lives on. This mural, a brand new plaque explaining “the incident,” and a memorial to the incident’s only victim – Dahl’s dog Sparky – keep the strange story alive.

Powell and his colleagues in Seattle Southside are trying to lure the aliens back with a little creativity.”

“This is our decoy cow,” he said, pointing to a fiberglass cow they’ve affectionately named “Cowleen.” She wears a jacket with a QR code on it that triggers a video message welcoming aliens. The message reads, in part, “We know you love abducting these land species, so we thought this was the best way to reach you!”

Of course, it’s a big assumption that aliens know how to scan a QR code. After all, many people don’t know that.

“I think if they can fly across the galaxy, they’ll probably figure it out. They’ll probably say, ‘Oh, weak Earth technology,’ so yeah, I think they’ll be good,” Powell said.

The cow hasn’t attracted any visitors from the cosmos yet, but all are welcome to come to Des Moines and take a free, self-guided tour of the craziest neighborhood in the Pacific Northwest.

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