TV Crew To Search For Monster In Local Lake

Following decades of swirling rumors about a creature living beneath the surface of Raystown Lake near Huntingdon, WJAC-TV News has learned that a TV crew plans to probe the local legend.

According to officials with the Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau and Seven Points Marina in Hesston, members of a California television crew plan on visiting the region in three weeks.

Seven Points Marina Sales and Marketing Director Pam Prosser said the crew will be using houseboats to access deep areas of the lake and scuba dive with underwater cameras in hopes of finding the mythical creature.

"We've had lots of people reporting sightings to us here at the marina,” said Prosser. “It makes it a lot of fun to hear what people say they saw, and now to be a part of a show that is going to be dedicated to this to find Ray."

Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau Executive Director Matt Price said rumors of the creature, described as being similar to sightings of the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland, have been circulating for nearly 100 years.

“It is a big lake. It's 8,300 acres, about 200 feet deep close to the dam,” said Price. “So, it's possible that something of that size could live here."

Houseboat enthusiasts, including realtor Rob Schrack, said he remembers summer evenings where marine radios were tied up with teens reporting ‘Raystown Ray’ sightings.

“You could look out onto the water, see certain things happening in the water and some people say ‘that’s Raystown Ray,'” said Schrack. “There’s nothing to fear from Raystown Ray. Do not stay away from Raystown Lake because of Raystown Ray.”

The crew will reportedly be at the lake in late April to produce a 30-minute episode for a new Syfy channel series.