Class A First-hand BFRO #4839

Family observes sasquatch along Bethel Road near Lancaster

22 August 2002 around 9:00PM, dark Lancaster, Lancaster County, South Carolina 3 witnesses

Account

The witness was driving home at night with a daughter and grandson when a dark figure was seen standing by the roadside. The driver slowed and passed very close, observing a black, heavily built figure standing fully erect with a small head and long arms. After passing, the figure was reported to cross the road behind the car into the woods.

Summary drafted by AI from the source report and checked by code before I publish it. The witness's own words remain with the publisher — read the original report .

What was reported

Every kind of observation in the account. Select one to find other encounters with it.

Sightings

Full-body sighting Road crossing

Described appearance

In the source's own words, field by field. Hover a field's marker to see where it was read.

Height src: maybe 5 & ½ feet tall
Build src: heavily built, broad shoulders, heavy powerful chest
Hair colour src: solid black
Face src: gorilla looking
Arms src: long arms that hung down
Hands src: possibly in fist position
Gait src: ran upright, later slowly crossed road erect
Posture src: stood perfectly erect upright without slump
Other features src: small head for body, no visible neck, hair covered head and potential ears, no skin visible through hair

Facts & provenance

Each value names where it came from.

Date	22 August 2002 Stated BFRO report #4839 · BFRO report, labelled fields: Year, Month, Date
Time of day	around 9:00PM, dark Stated BFRO report #4839 · BFRO report, “Time And Conditions” section
Place	Lancaster, Lancaster County, South Carolina Stated BFRO report #4839 · BFRO report, labelled fields: State, County, Nearest Town, Location Details, Nearest Road
Map point	34.7261, -80.7790 (± 15 km) Geocoded BFRO report #4839 · gazetteer:place · read with 50% confidence Census 2023 Gazetteer centroid of Lancaster city (GEOID 4539895), matched from nearest town 'Lancaster'
Account type	First-hand Derived BFRO report #4839 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witnesses	3 Stated BFRO report #4839 · BFRO report, “Other Witnesses” section
Figures reported	1 Derived BFRO report #4839 · BFRO report, “Observed” section · read with 80% confidence
Witness was	driving home at night Stated BFRO report #4839 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witness's word for it	looked like a gorilla Stated BFRO report #4839 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Source classification	Class A Stated BFRO report #4839 · BFRO classification label

Evidence & investigation

What the source says was found or done. Claimed evidence is listed as claimed; the Anomadex has not examined it.

Follow-up

An investigator spoke with the driver and separately interviewed the daughter to record additional details.

BFRO report, “Follow-Up” section

Source timeline

Every record this entry is built from, earliest known first. Records are versioned and never edited in place.

BFRO report #4839 Primary

Published 2002-08-23 Retrieved 2026-09-25 Version 1 Hash c1ffd9f6c909

BFRO - Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization