Brian Vike's Favorite Cases.
Newspaper Article.
By David Wylie
Sterling News Service.
Kelowna – A group of Ogopogo hunters are planning a third major quest to find the monster they believe lurks in the depths of Okanagan Lake – this time in the company of a well-known Canadian UFO expert.
Brian Vike, who researches alien sightings and encounters from his home in Houston, B.C., appears regularly on radio shows across Canada and the U.S. to discuss aliens with a listening audience of about 3 million. He said he doesn’t necessarily believe in Ogopogo, but there have been enough sightings to take the mythological creature seriously.
“They’ve been doing this (the searches) and it’s not a hokey operation. They spend a lot of money,” said Vike.
Some of the big talk radio shows in the United States wanted to carry (the expedition) live. It’ll be great for tourism”, he said.
Experienced Ogopogo hunter Bill Steciuk said the wide-scale scientific search is planned for mid-August 2004.
The team will use three boats equipped with sonar, remote-controlled underwater video equipment and divers to try to locate the creature.
Why? It was time to do a scientific search. Why do you climb a mountain? Because it’s there. Why do you hunt Ogopogo? Because there’s something in the lake,” he said. “We’ll find it and we’ll get pictures of it.”
There have been thousands of sightings, including some from influential citizens, like doctors and business people, he said. Steciuk said he also believes there’s more than just one Ogopogo.
“This is a species,” he said.
Nearly 50 people helped during the first searches in 2000 and 2001 – both trips resulted in sightings and a 45 minute documentary on the searches was released earlier this year. The expedition and filming cost totaled more than $250,000.
A third major expedition planned for last August was cancelled because of the Okanagan Mountain Park fire.
August is an ideal time for the search because there are fewer watercraft on the lake and the weather is usually clear, Steciuk said.
“The majority of sightings, if you go back 100 years, are in and around the middle of August,” he said.
Sterling News Service - https://vancouversun.com/
