Reporter JAMES CAMPBELL delves into the archives to look back at one of the island’s most baffling Manx mysteries...

Almost a quarter of a century ago the Isle of Man was at the centre of a UFO storm.

This was not just simply reports of some strange objects in the sky but it appeared something had actually struck a communications mast on the summit of Snaefell.

I was there that night and it makes me feel old to have to delve into the archives to find the article I wrote back on January 16, 2001.

I was on weekend duty and I remember getting the call on Sunday afternoon regarding the reports and a hive of activity at the Bungalow. It was already getting dark when I arrived and also very cold.

The area was lit up by the lights of the emergency services and search teams. Whatever had been reported was being taken very seriously.

It began on Saturday, January 15 and into the next day when two horse riders travelling along Ballaragh in Lonan described what they thought was a microlight hitting the mast on Snaefell before spiralling down in a cloud of smoke.

Another witness in Jurby reported seeing what he thought was a flare.

The reports prompted a dramatic search. A helicopter from RAF Valley in north Wales was scrambled and scoured the area on Sunday evening, and again on Monday.

However, typical of the Manx weather, fog descended which hampered efforts from the sky. That meany hill search teams from the coastguard, fire service and civil defence braved the elements and searched on foot.

The 40 or so searchers covered a four-square kilometre area from the mountain to Tholt-y-Will while the helicopter swept the area from the TT course to Druidale Road.

The police had already done a preliminary search during daylight but had found nothing. The search was made more difficult because no one knew exactly what they were looking for.

The search coordinator at the time Sergeant Nigel Shimmin told the Isle of Man Examiner at the time: ‘There has definitely been something, no doubt about that but we just don’t know what it is.’

There were no reports of anyone missing and all flying clubs and glider clubs had accounted for all their members.

Other possible explanations put forward included radio-controlled planes, home-made rockets, fireworks and even large icicles falling from the mast.

I remember remaining at the Bungalow for what felt like an eternity trying to get any scraps of information. I was there for probably three or four hours but it became clear that no answers were going to come that night and the search was halted just after 11pm.

Those searches continued but I cannot remember what further stories I did. That suggests no suitable answer to the mystery was ever forthcoming and any cursory search of the internet sheds little light on what happened.

Of course, the lack of any answers inevitably leads some to the theory of an unidentified flying object.

The authorities clearly believed the reports the mast had been struck by something but the lack of any debris is puzzling.

Perhaps the debris was alien and was collected covertly by the government and placed in a hangar at the island’s own version of Area 51?

Highly unlikely of course but the romantic part of me cannot help wondering if we are really not alone. Either way, this remains one of the island’s most baffling mysteries.