When a witness in Richmond, Indiana, saw a giant stingray-like creature gliding silently from treetop to treetop, she was left shaken, praying for answers, and convinced she had encountered something not of this world. But was it a demonic water spirit tied to the nearby Whitewater River, or evidence of a winged cryptid that science refuses to acknowledge?

"This is very difficult for me to write about publicly. It was such a strange experience, and I've only shared it with a few people because they tend to think I'm crazy when I mention that I "saw a stingray fly over the street from one group of trees to another." I mean, we’re in Indiana—nowhere near the ocean, for one thing. But even if we lived by the sea, why would a stingray fly into trees?

Anyway, this is what I witnessed on my way to work one early fall morning around 6:30 AM. It wasn’t fully light out yet, but it was bright enough with streetlights illuminating the road. As I approached a four-way stop, there were no other cars around, so I continued driving. I glanced up a bit and saw this giant stingray-like creature fly from one side of the street, emerging from a cluster of trees, and glide across the street into another group of treetops! Astonishment is the only word that can describe my reaction—I had never had a reason to use that word before, but it perfectly sums up my feelings! I was saying, "OMG! OMG!" I started praying, "Lord, what was that?" It was just so strange. I felt like crying, overwhelmed with a mix of emotions after my initial astonishment. I kept questioning myself—did I really see what I thought I saw? I repeated that over and over all the way to work: "Did that just happen?!"

For days, I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I told a couple of people, but I knew they wouldn’t believe me. I started looking at pictures online to find something I might compare it to, and came across a huge Manta Ray picture labeled “Devil Ray!” This led me to research demonic creatures and stingrays, resulting in a whole lot of information about water spirits. Now, I genuinely believe that’s what I encountered: for a brief moment, I saw a demonic water spirit in the form of a stingray. Our town has been known to give people the feeling of a demonic hold or something similar, and now I believe it. There are many issues of our city, and looking up these water spirits reveals the negativity they bring. 

Anyway, that’s what I saw, and I’m relieved to hear that others have had similar experiences. It makes me feel like I’m not crazy! Have you seen the strange creature in the tsunami video? I think that might be the same thing! Thank you for sharing these sightings." TS

After contacting the witness, I obtained more information:

The sighting took place in Richmond, Indiana, between South 16th Street and East Street, and South 12th Street and East Street, while I was driving west on East Street. The creature was grayish on top—shark-like—and white on the bottom, resembling a giant stingray gliding over the street. Having lived in Florida for years, I’ve seen stingrays up close at various petting places with starfish, sharks, turtles, and stingrays, so I know what they look like. It’s hard to explain, but you see how the edges of a stingray wave as it glides through water? Well, this creature’s edges were doing the same thing, just through the air. I barely caught sight of the long tail trailing behind as I was focused on the waving edges.

There is a river (East Fork - Whitewater River) that you would reach if you continued down E Street west, which intersects with S 1st Street. I drive over that bridge to get to work.

NOTE: The area where the sighting occurred is a mix of residential and commercial properties along a two-lane road. The witness's description closely resembles that of an actual Manta Ray, with minimal deviation. It's unusual for a creature like this to be spotted in a populated area, but I genuinely believe the witness observed what she described. Lon