Otherworld Podcast – Episode 151: “Heyburn Lake”

Release Date: January 12, 2026
Host: Jack Wagner
Guests/Storytellers: Jerry Jackson & Chelsea Jackson
Theme: Eyewitness encounter with an unexplainable creature near Heyburn Lake, Oklahoma

Episode Overview

This episode of Otherworld dives into a chilling and confounding story from Oklahoma, told firsthand by Jerry Jackson and his wife, Chelsea. Experienced in the landscape and wildlife, Jerry and Chelsea describe a late-night drive near Heyburn Lake that culminated in a close encounter with a bizarre, unidentifiable creature. Their account, filled with vivid detail and emotional reactions, stands out for having two reliable witnesses who both struggled to rationalize what they saw.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background and Setting

• Jerry’s connection to Heyburn Lake
  • Grew up in the area, highly familiar with local wildlife and rural Oklahoma’s landscape.
  • Describes Eastern Oklahoma as “absolutely gorgeous… hills and mountains” (03:53).
  • Jerry and Chelsea sometimes escape their busy household for nighttime drives out to stargaze and unwind.
• Chelsea’s perspective
  • Self-described "city girl" from Tulsa, less accustomed to rural Oklahoma and its typical wildlife.
  • Married to Jerry for around 10 years, accompanies him on these drives (03:16).

2. The First Incident – Meteor Shower (About 9 Years Earlier)

• During the Perseid meteor shower, the couple stopped by the side of a secluded road to stargaze.
• A bizarrely loud rustling nearby startled Chelsea, Jerry dismissed it as an armadillo (08:26–09:15).

3. The Main Encounter – Spring 2024

• Setting:
  • Late at night, on the same stretch of back road near Heyburn Lake, surrounded by tall grass and barbed wire fencing.
• The Sighting Begins:
  • As Jerry reminisces about their previous stargazing trip, Chelsea spots a large four-legged animal crossing the road ahead (09:59).
  • Both quickly become aware it’s unlike any animal they know.

Description of the Creature:

• Size and Movement:
  • “Almost the size of a cow, but not as girthy… [moved] in more of a canine or feline fashion” (11:08 – Jerry Jackson).
  • Chelsea believes it would stand “at least like 8ft tall” if upright (10:28).
• Texture and Color:
  • “Dark, black, but it had this weird shimmery iridescence… like large static… it was shimmering before my headlights hit” (11:08 – Jerry Jackson).
  • “Body was almost self-illuminating, like it had this strange glow… gray, staticky kind of glow” (12:30 – Chelsea Jackson).
  • Jerry likens it to "an oil sheen on top of static" (12:57).
• Facial Features:
  • No discernible snout, ears, or tail.
  • At one point it swivels its head (unnaturally, “not like a dog would”) and reveals two unusually bright, self-illuminated yellow eyes—“not eyeshine, these were putting out way more light” (12:57 – Jerry Jackson).
• Departure:
  • “Slithered into the grass,” with its upper body undulating like a dragon in anime (16:23 – Jerry Jackson).
  • Jerry emphasizes that the way it moved, especially when entering the brush past a five-strand barbed wire fence (over 5 ft tall), was completely unlike any known animal.

Reactions and Aftermath:

• Both in shock and unable to rationalize what they’d seen.
• Quiet, unnerved drive continues, both processing and discussing what it could have been (21:54).
• They double back in hopes of seeing the creature again, but it’s gone (22:35).

4. Search for Explanations

• Jerry attempts to recall known wildlife; nothing fits (“the closer we got, it stayed unclassifiable”) (16:23 & 24:07).
• Shares story with friends, family, and posts in paranormal groups—suggestions like “skinnwalker” and “jaggerundi” are quickly dismissed as improbable (24:07 – Chelsea Jackson).
• Chelsea: “None of the wildlife that's around here at all… it just looked like this gray, glowing form crossing the road.” (24:44)

5. Personal Impact

• The event becomes a reference point for all future night drives; both continue searching for closure (24:44 – Chelsea Jackson).
• Jerry goes back to the site frequently, hoping to see it again: “Honestly, I kind of go back there going, hey, are you here? Come back out in front of me again so I can get a better look.” (26:44 – Jerry Jackson)
• Both express a feeling of validation, but also a lingering, unsettling mystery.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the creature’s illumination:
  • “It’s like its body was almost self-illuminating, like it had like this strange glow to it, like a gray, staticky kind of glow.” – Chelsea Jackson (12:30)
• On the impossible to categorize what they saw:
  • “If you see a dog in your headlights, it looks like a dog. If you see a cow… But it didn’t resolve into any creature I knew. The closer we got, it stayed unclassifiable to me.” – Jerry Jackson (16:23)
• On the shock of the moment:
  • “I'm watching this and I'm just kind of in a state of shock. Like I couldn't believe what I was seeing. …This was something I had never ever experienced before.” – Chelsea Jackson (15:30)
• On validation:
  • “You can read all the stories you want about Bigfoot… until you see a big hairy man out in the woods, they're just stories.” – Jerry Jackson (26:44)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:16] – Jerry & Chelsea’s backgrounds, introductions
• [08:26]–[09:15] – First encounter during Perseid meteor shower
• [09:38] – The night of the main encounter, description of the setting
• [10:28] – First sighting of the creature and initial reactions
• [11:08–13:00] – Detailed physical description, focus on texture, eyes, movement
• [16:23] – Creature disappears into the grass, discussion of movement
• [21:54] – Aftermath in the car, discussing what they witnessed
• [22:35]–[23:02] – Returning to the scene, hoping for a second sighting
• [24:44] – Sharing the story, struggle for answers
• [26:44] – Reflection on the impact and continuing curiosity

Host’s Closing Thoughts

• Jack Wagner notes the singularity of the Jacksons’ account, pointing out that cases with multiple, credible witnesses seeing the same thing are especially compelling (27:44).
• Wagner recognizes similarities to other “dark static figures” and “shimmering” creatures in past Otherworld episodes, but finds no clear analogue in Oklahoma lore.
• Calls for listener input if anyone has clues about similar phenomena.

Summary

“Heyburn Lake” stands out as a compelling, firsthand account of an inexplicable roadside encounter. Both Jerry and Chelsea—a country-raised wildlife expert and a Tulsa city girl—are shaken by the sight of an enormous, shimmering, staticky black creature with self-luminous yellow eyes. Unable to fit what they saw into any known animal category, and despite their rational, grounded backgrounds, their experience leaves them permanently curious and slightly unsettled. The tale is laced with awe, disbelief, and the hope for another chance at understanding the unknown.

For listeners, this episode offers both eerie detail and thoughtful skepticism—embodying Otherworld’s journalistic and open-minded tone while leaving the mystery very much alive.