On April 11, 2014, around 3 p.m., resident Dick Smits captured impressive footage of an unidentified flying object (UFO) over his city of Maassluis, located in the Rijnmond region, south of The Hague and near Rotterdam, Netherlands. The video, which circulated in specialized media, was highlighted by the local news channel Rijnmond TV at the time.
The object, bright blue and disc- or lens-shaped, attracted attention due to its apparent lack of conventional propulsion. According to Smits’s account during an interview with Rijnmond TV — in which his brother was present — the object hovered silently in the sky for about 15 minutes before disappearing into the clouds.
Described as having a slightly curved base and a domed top, the object showed no sudden movements that could suggest a balloon or airship. Still, its tilt and shape differed from known aerial vehicles, fueling speculation about its origin.
Smits said he was initially filming a boat passing through the canal near his apartment when he noticed something strange in the sky. “I saw this blue object, stationary, for a long time. It seemed unusual, unlike anything I had seen before,” he commented.
When asked about the possibility of the object being a UFO, Smits admitted he didn’t know exactly what he had filmed but did not rule out the hypothesis. “When you realize how many other planets exist in the universe, it’s possible there is life elsewhere,” he reflected.
Maassluis is located at the mouth of the Rhine River, an important industrial and port region of the Netherlands, close to urban centers with intense air and maritime traffic. This made sightings like Smits’s one to be closely examined by experts seeking to rule out commercial aircraft, weather balloons, or drones.
However, the footage in question showed characteristics that challenged conventional explanations. Its shape, unusual color, and lack of noise or sudden movement intrigued researchers of anomalous aerial phenomena.
At the time of the video’s release, the international UFO community discussed the case as one of the most credible UFO records of that period. The fact that it was captured by an ordinary citizen, in a clear-visibility area, and accompanied by a local news interview, increased its credibility.
Nonetheless, local authorities did not issue official statements or public investigations regarding the case. This is common with such phenomena, where reports often remain limited to independent channels and civilian researchers.
