01/15/2005: Thanks to Walter Halchak for submitting this story from the Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Division in Barberton. While working as a security guard and paramedic there, Walter experienced many paranormal events. He, his coworkers, and even the local police, witnessed a truly remarkable paranormal event one night, seeing a misty figure. Read his story below for the bone-chilling details.
My name is Walter Halchak III, and in 1997, I was working as a security guard and paramedic for the Babcock & Wilcox company in Barberton, Ohio. My duties included nightly rounds throughout the entire grounds in every building and every room. Directly across from the guard shack is the infirmary and some offices that has three floors and a conference center, but in this building’s basement is where my experience happened. I have made rounds here dozens and dozens of times and each time I would have a chilled feeling and goosebumps, even with all the lights on. There are far more scary places on this company’s grounds than this, I can assure you, but this basement had a terrible feel to it. After several rounds there I became used to it, I guess, but each time was still very frightening to me. My flashlight would stop working in the basement only, doors refused to open like someone was holding them shut on the other side, cold spots where you could see your breath in the middle of summer, and my radio was full of static. After telling my captain about this, he had similar feelings and experiences as well, but would always do his rounds while the building was occupied on first shift. I had third shift and was usually alone.
This particular night, I was lucky enough to have a partner and this is what happened. As I made my rounds, I came through the north door and proceeded to the basement floor. I heard a humming sound and saw that the lights were flickering on and off. I instantly became scared and radioed my partner to come over and see this. As we both approached the south side of the building, a door slammed shut so hard that the wood splintered, the door knob was loose and the striker plate was bent and torn off. At this time we called the police for assistance, thinking we had an intruder. We proceeded out of the building as fast as we could and was waiting for the police to arrive when a soft white glow appeared in the south doorway inside the building. It looked like heavy white smoke and it stayed for about 5-8 minutes. When Barberton Police arrived, they witnessed the shape, drew their weapons and ordered the whatever out of the building and the vapor dissipated under the door. The police did gain entry but found nobody. However, the four to five officers came out, freaked out. As they were searching the building, several computers turned on suddenly and the lights started to flicker. One of the officers that responded, named Terry, said, “Boy’s, I’ve been a police officer for fifteen years and this is by far the most impressive thing that I have ever seen.” I have to agree with him.