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Cryptid

Albert Ostman Kidnapping

A prospector claimed he was kidnapped by a Bigfoot family and held for six days. He observed their behavior. A male, female, and two young. He escaped by feeding the father snuff. He kept silent for 33 years.

1924
Toba Inlet, British Columbia, Canada
1+ witnesses

Albert Ostman’s account remains one of Bigfoot’s strangest.

The Kidnapping

In summer 1924, Ostman was prospecting alone in the wilderness when he was abruptly awakened while sleeping in his bag. Still inside the sleeping bag, he was picked up by something enormously strong and carried for hours through rough terrain before being dumped unceremoniously in a remote valley.

The Family

Ostman found himself facing four Sasquatch creatures arranged as a family unit: an adult male standing approximately 8 feet tall, an adult female, an adolescent male, and a young female. The family structure suggested intelligence and social organization.

The Captivity

For six days, Ostman remained a prisoner unable to escape. The creatures guarded him constantly, but he was able to observe their behavior closely. They seemed more curious than hostile, and showed no aggressive intent despite keeping him captive.

The Escape

Ostman managed to escape using snuff tobacco he had in his possession. He offered some to the adult male, who ate it and became violently ill. In the resulting chaos and confusion, Ostman seized his opportunity to flee and never looked back.

The Silence

Ostman remained silent about his experience for 33 years due to fear of ridicule. He finally spoke publicly in 1957, signing a legal affidavit describing his ordeal. He also reportedly passed a lie detector test when questioned about the incident.

The Details

Certain aspects of his account are convincing to believers, including detailed anatomical descriptions of the creatures, careful behavioral observations that seem too specific to fabricate, and consistent retelling of the story over the years. Skeptics wonder whether the account is too detailed to have been invented, or if it represents a perfect hoax by a skilled storyteller.

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