The Oakville Blobs

On August 7, 1994, the small town of Oakville, Washington, experienced an unusual rain of gelatinous blobs. Residents who came into contact with the substance fell ill. Multiple scientific analyses failed to identify what had fallen from the sky.

The Event

Over a period of three weeks in August 1994, Oakville experienced six separate falls of a translucent gelatinous substance. The blobs were about half the size of grains of rice and splattered on surfaces like gel. They fell from the sky like rain.

The Illness

Within hours of handling the blobs, residents reported flu-like symptoms including fatigue, nausea, and respiratory problems. Officer David Lacey fell ill after collecting samples. Multiple pets and animals died after exposure.

The Analysis

A sample was sent to the Washington State Department of Health. Microbiologist Mike McDowell found the blobs contained human white blood cells. A second analysis found bacteria normally found in the human digestive system. A third sample disappeared before analysis was complete.

The Theories

The Air Force suggested the blobs were waste from airline toilets, but the FAA confirmed regulations against such dumping. Others proposed jellyfish fragments carried by military bombing practice, but the bacteria findings contradicted this. No definitive explanation emerged.

The Mystery

Why would human blood cells fall from the sky? Why did the samples disappear? Why were multiple residents and animals sickened? No official investigation resolved these questions.

Assessment

The Oakville blobs incident remains genuinely unexplained. Physical evidence was collected and analyzed. People became ill. Animals died. The scientific findings raise more questions than they answer. Whatever rained on Oakville has never been identified.