“One of the biologists is the one who spotted it and we just happened to fly directly over the top of it. He was like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, turn around, turn around!’ And I was like, ‘what.’ And he’s like, ‘There’s this thing back there – we’ve got to go look at it!’” –Bret Hutchings
During a routine helicopter flight to count bighorn sheep in the Utah backcountry, a joint crew from The Utah Department of Public Safety and The Utah Division of Wildlife Resource spotted something mysterious from above. The crew looped around and landed the helicopter to take a closer look. They couldn’t believe their eyes. KSL reports tucked in a red rock cove was a shiny metal monolith about 10-12 feet high protruding from the ground.
“We were kind of joking around that if one of us suddenly disappears, then the rest of us make a run for it. We were, like, thinking is this something NASA stuck up there or something. Are they bouncing satellites off it or something?”
The crew decided it didn’t appear there was any scientific purpose and looked manmade, perhaps more of an art form than any kind of alien lifeform.
“I’m assuming it’s some new wave artist or something or, you know, somebody that was a big (2001: A Space Odyssey) fan.”
Because the monolith is located in a remote area that amateur adventurers might get stuck in trying to visit, the crew were intentionally vague about its location. Utah DPS issued a statement Monday reminding the public it is illegal to install structures or art without authorization on public lands “no matter what planet you’re from.”
Possible inspiration for artist behind the mystery monolith be they human or extra-terrestrial:
