A strange figure wandering through Damariscotta, Maine, had locals doing double takes, reaching for their phones and, eventually, calling the police. The reports were unusual enough to attract attention around town, including near a local school during morning drop-off on the first day of school.

For a moment, it looked like the legendary Bigfoot might have made an extremely unexpected appearance in a small coastal Maine community. But after police launched an investigation and finally tracked down the mysterious figure, the truth turned out to be considerably more human — and almost comically straightforward.

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Damariscotta Bigfoot sighting sends residents into detective mode

It started with something that would be pretty difficult to ignore: a large, hairy, human-like figure walking around Damariscotta.

The small town in mid-coast Maine soon became the setting for an unusual series of reports. Residents contacted the Damariscotta Police Department after seeing what appeared to be a Sasquatch, Yeti, Bigfoot or, as one description put it, “a very large and hairy individual roaming around town.”

And these weren’t just isolated whispers.

Police said they received an “unusually high number of calls” about the mysterious figure.

Among the locations mentioned in the reports were Main Street and the area surrounding a local school during morning drop-off on the first day of school.

That detail understandably raised the stakes.

When something unusual is spotted near a school, people aren’t necessarily going to shrug and carry on with their morning. Residents wanted to know what — or who — was walking around town.

The figure was also convincing enough that people began taking photographs.

But there was another detail that made the whole thing even more surreal.

The supposed Bigfoot was reportedly wearing a top hat.

So, somewhere in Damariscotta, a giant furry figure in a top hat was walking around town while residents tried to figure out whether they were witnessing something genuinely extraordinary.

Police eventually decided the volume of reports justified an official response.

And that’s when the Bigfoot hunt began.

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Maine Bigfoot mystery takes an unexpected turn on Main Street

The investigation did not end with officers discovering enormous footprints disappearing into the woods.

Instead, Officer William Smith eventually located the mysterious figure.

And where was the elusive creature?

Sitting peacefully on Main Street.

At this point, the situation could have gone in almost any direction. Residents had reported a figure that looked convincing enough to generate a stream of calls, and officers had to establish exactly what was happening.

Officer Smith approached the individual and began talking with him.

The police department later described the encounter with a healthy dose of humour:

“Officer Smith eventually located the elusive creature sitting peacefully on Main Street. Rather than immediately placing him under arrest for being suspiciously hairy, Officer Smith sat down and had a great conversation with him.”

That conversation apparently went well.

Members of the public continued to stop and take photographs while Smith spoke with the mysterious figure, turning what had started as a potentially concerning situation into something resembling an impromptu community spectacle.

But police still had one important question to answer.

What exactly was this thing?

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Police reveal what the Damariscotta “Bigfoot” really was

The answer finally arrived after officers investigated the situation.

The mysterious creature wasn’t a previously undiscovered species.

It wasn’t a Sasquatch.

It wasn’t a Yeti.

And it wasn’t evidence of a legendary creature suddenly emerging into public view.

It was a man.

Wearing a Bigfoot costume.

The Damariscotta Police Department described it as a “very convincing costume,” which suddenly made the earlier reports make a lot more sense.

From a distance, especially when someone is walking around in a highly realistic furry costume, it would be understandable for residents to struggle to identify exactly what they were seeing.

The photographs, the reports and the growing number of calls had created a genuine mystery — but the solution was ultimately much more ordinary.

Police found no evidence of criminal activity.

There was also no indication that the costumed individual posed a threat.

The department summed up its investigation with another deliberately deadpan line:

“Our investigation determined that the mysterious creature was, in fact, a man in a costume.”

And that wasn’t the end of the police department’s Bigfoot jokes.

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No crime, no threat — and sadly no newly discovered species

Once officers had established the individual’s identity as a person in costume, the investigation effectively became a story about an unusual public sight rather than a criminal incident.

The department explained:

“there was no evidence of criminal activity, no indication of anything nefarious afoot, and unfortunately, no groundbreaking discovery of a previously unknown species.”

The final verdict was even simpler:

“Just a guy in a very convincing costume.”

So the mystery had been solved.

Still, the fact that so many people initially believed something unusual was happening shows just how effective the costume apparently was.

A random person in an ordinary outfit probably wouldn’t have generated this kind of reaction.

A convincing Bigfoot walking through town, however?

That’s a different story.

And Damariscotta residents weren’t the only ones entertained by the whole situation.

The police themselves admitted they had secretly been hoping for a much bigger discovery.

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Damariscotta police admit they secretly wanted Bigfoot to be real

The police department’s September 2 update made it clear that officers weren’t simply laughing off the calls.

They investigated them.

But once the mystery was solved, the department leaned fully into the absurdity of what had happened.

It announced:

“After a lengthy, exhaustive, and completely serious investigation, members of the Damariscotta Police Department have reached a conclusion: Bigfoot is not real.”

That conclusion may have disappointed some people.

Apparently, it even disappointed some members of the police department.

The officers admitted:

“We understand this may be disappointing to some. Frankly, there were members of our department who were secretly hoping we had finally stumbled upon something that would make national news. Sadly, no.”

It’s a surprisingly relatable reaction.

After all, if you’re a police officer responding to repeated reports of a mysterious creature wandering around town, there probably has to be at least a tiny part of you wondering whether this could somehow be the real deal.

Instead, the investigation produced a costume.

A very convincing one.

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Why police say residents did the right thing by calling

Despite the jokes, Damariscotta Police did not criticise residents for reporting the sightings.

Quite the opposite.

The department thanked people for paying attention and sharing information when something appeared unusual.

It said:

“We greatly appreciate everyone’s excitement, curiosity, and willingness to keep an eye out for one another. We also appreciate all the calls and information that came in. Rest assured, we were on the hunt from the very beginning.”

That response is important because the incident wasn’t simply about whether Bigfoot exists.

Residents saw something they couldn’t immediately explain, and they contacted authorities rather than assuming everything was fine.

The police department ultimately framed that as a positive example of community awareness.

It even suggested the town had discovered something almost as rare as Bigfoot itself.

“While we didn’t find Bigfoot, we did find something almost as rare: A town full of people willing to stop what they’re doing to investigate a Bigfoot sighting and keep each other safe.”

The department added:

“And honestly, we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

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Police Chief Erik Josephson explains why the Bigfoot incident mattered

Police Chief Erik Josephson later offered a broader perspective on what the bizarre incident revealed about Damariscotta.

According to Josephson, the costumed figure certainly attracted attention while walking along Main Street.

He explained:

“While walking along Main Street, he certainly attracted attention. Some people were concerned and contacted police, while others took the opportunity to stop and take pictures, including while Officer Smith was speaking with him,”

Josephson also said Officer Smith viewed his interaction with the costumed individual positively.

“Officer Smith described their interaction as a great conversation and found him to be very interesting and understanding when the concerns were explained.”

For Josephson, the episode became a surprisingly good illustration of what officials believe small-town Maine — and Damariscotta specifically — is about.

He said:

“Ultimately, this is a good example of what we think small-town Maine, and Damariscotta in particular, is all about.”

He continued:

“People here look out for one another, speak up when something seems unusual, and law enforcement is there to check things out and make sure everyone is safe. Sometimes those calls involve serious matters, and sometimes they involve something a little more… Bigfoot-like.”

That may be one of the more unusual descriptions of community policing, but in this case, it fits perfectly.

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Some Damariscotta residents were actually disappointed by the Bigfoot reveal

There was apparently one unexpected consequence after police solved the mystery.

Not everyone was thrilled to learn that the creature wasn’t real.

Josephson said:

“Judging by some of the responses to the post, there were actually quite a few people who were disappointed to learn that it wasn’t the real Bigfoot!”

And honestly, that’s probably understandable.

For a brief period, residents had a mystery on their hands.

A giant hairy figure.

A top hat.

Multiple sightings.

Photographs.

Police calls.

A school drop-off sighting.

And eventually, an officer sitting down on Main Street to have a conversation with the creature.

Finding out it was simply someone wearing a costume does remove some of the supernatural magic.

Still, it also produced one seriously memorable local story.

Damariscotta Bigfoot investigation officially ends with one final joke

The Damariscotta Police Department had one last message before closing the case.

It thanked residents for staying alert and keeping officers informed, while once again turning the incident into a joke:

“Thank you for keeping us informed, keeping an eye out for one another, and giving us something to talk about. Case closed. Bigfoot remains at large… provided he puts his costume back on.”

And with that, the investigation was officially over.

There were no arrests.

There were no criminal charges.

There was no evidence of criminal activity.

There was no newly discovered species.

There was, however, one man in a remarkably convincing Bigfoot costume who managed to transform an ordinary day in coastal Maine into a town-wide mystery.

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What really happened in the Damariscotta Bigfoot case?

Detail	Official information
Location	Damariscotta, Maine
Area	Main Street and near a local school
Reports	An unusually high number of calls
Descriptions	Sasquatch, Yeti, Bigfoot, or a very large and hairy individual
Notable detail	The figure was reportedly wearing a top hat
Officer involved	Officer William Smith
Where the figure was found	Sitting peacefully on Main Street
What police discovered	A man wearing a Bigfoot costume
Police description	A “very convincing” costume
Criminal activity	No evidence found
Threat	No indication the person posed a threat
Police Chief	Erik Josephson
September update	September 2
Final status	Case closed

The Maine Bigfoot mystery is over — but the story isn’t easy to forget

Damariscotta didn’t uncover Bigfoot.

What it did uncover was something arguably just as entertaining: the speed with which one bizarre sight can turn into a community-wide mystery when enough people see it, photograph it and start calling the police.

The incident also showed why residents’ reports still mattered. Something genuinely unusual was happening in town, and officers checked it out. They found the explanation, confirmed there was no criminal activity and made sure the situation was safe.

The final answer was wonderfully simple.

The “creature” was a person.

The fur was a costume.

The mystery was real — even if Bigfoot wasn’t.

And somewhere in Damariscotta, Maine, one exceptionally convincing Bigfoot costume has now earned itself a place in local folklore.

For now, the case is closed.

But as the police department put it, Bigfoot remains at large… provided he puts his costume back on.

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Disclaimer

This article is based on a thorough review of the Damariscotta Police Department’s public statements and corroborating reports available as of September 8, 2026. The information has been presented from the supplied verified material, including the police department’s statements and reports from Boston.com, The Boston Globe, Dexerto and UNILAD. Bigfoot remains a subject of folklore and alleged sightings; in this particular Damariscotta incident, police confirmed that the figure was a person wearing a costume.

Sources

• Boston.com — Bigfoot sighting was just a man in a costume
• The Boston Globe — Man in Bigfoot costume prompts calls to police
• Dexerto — Police speak to ‘Bigfoot’ after small town goes crazy with sightings
• UNILAD — Police in Maine launch bizarre ‘Bigfoot’ hunt

Featured Image Credit: Etienne Marais on Pexels