A reported Bigfoot sighting in Damariscotta, Maine, has been resolved after police identified the mysterious hairy figure as a man wearing a remarkably realistic costume.
Residents called authorities after seeing the tall, bipedal figure on Main Street and near a local school during morning drop-off on the first day of term.
Officer William Smith was sent to investigate and eventually found the alleged Sasquatch sitting peacefully on Main Street.
Damariscotta Police Chief Erik Josephson said the department had received an unusually high number of calls about a possible “Sasquatch, Yeti, Bigfoot, or possibly just a very large and hairy individual”.
In a statement shared on Facebook, Chief Josephson said officers had carried out a “lengthy, exhaustive, and completely serious investigation” before reaching their conclusion: “Bigfoot is not real.”
Officer Smith spoke to the man rather than arresting him, with the encounter interrupted by photographs and excited members of the public. Police said no Bigfoot-like noises were heard during the conversation.
“Our investigation determined that the mysterious creature was, in fact, a man in a costume,” the department said. “There was no evidence of criminal activity, no indication of anything nefarious afoot, and unfortunately, no groundbreaking discovery of a previously unknown species.”
No charges were filed. Police said the man was simply wearing “a very convincing costume”.
Chief Josephson thanked residents for reporting what they had seen and praised them for looking out for one another. He said the incident had revealed “a town full of people willing to stop what they’re doing to investigate a Bigfoot sighting and keep each other safe”.
The department concluded: “Case closed. Bigfoot remains at large … provided he puts his costume back on.”
