Plans to find mystery monster sparked by viral post to storm U.S. base
Oscar Margain
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Storming into areas that breed conspiracy theories about aliens and monsters are taking social media by storm.

The latest viral trend on Facebook to "storm" Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands in search for Nessie the lake monster has drawn upwards of 22,000 users who say they plan to attend the event slated for September 21, while more than 45,000 others are "interested."

"The time is now for us to find dat big boi," reads the event description.

Not so fast. Unless you're Aquaman and are able to breathe underwater and communicate with sea creatures, chances are you'll end up "swimming with the fishes."

A view of Loch Ness in Fort Augustus, Scotland /Photo by VCG

A view of Loch Ness in Fort Augustus, Scotland /Photo by VCG

"It's quite unprecedented," Royal National Lifeboat Institution spokeswoman Gemma McDonald told CGTN. "Hopefully it is a joke."

McDonald described Loch Ness as a huge body of water, 35.4 kilometers in length and 230 meters deep and with an average yearly temperature of 6 degrees Celsius (42.8 Fahrenheit).

"We would not be able to be 'everywhere at once,' and no emergency service could manage this number of people," she said. "The Loch remains a large and, at times, dangerous piece of water."

The post is feeding off a frenzy over a mock invitation created earlier this month to raid Area 51 in Nevada a day before the Nessie expedition. Matty Roberts, the event organizer calls on his now 1.9 million registered attendees and 1.4 million interested others, to "meet up at the Area 51 Alien Center tourist attraction and coordinate our entry."

A screen shot of a the invitation to Area 51 on Facebook

A screen shot of a the invitation to Area 51 on Facebook

Plans to "Naruto run" into the heavily-secured Area 51, also known as Groom Lake U.S. Air Force Base, has become a source of countless memes and jokes online. The running technique references anime character Naruto Uzumaki's head-forward sprint with arms behind his back. The hope is to "move faster than their [government's] bullets," and to "see them aliens."

The U.S. military isn't laughing.

"The U.S. Air Force always stands ready to protect America and its assets," the agency told the Washington Post.

"If you find yourself close by, obey all posted signs and don't even think about trespassing. You will be caught, and you will be prosecuted," warned the Nevada Division of Tourism website.

Area 51 is a highly classified Air Force base built in 1955 initially to serve as a test facility for the U-2 Spy Plane. The area is protected and restricted to both land and air use. The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency acknowledged its existence after declassifying documents about the U-2 Spy Plane in 2013. But that hasn't stopped rumors about the base harboring extraterrestrial technology and claims of frequent UFO sightings, all of which feed many conspiracy theories.

A road sign announcing Extraterrestrial Highway in the Nevada Desert, USA /Photo by VCG

A road sign announcing Extraterrestrial Highway in the Nevada Desert, USA /Photo by VCG

"It's not something you can visit," NDT spokeswoman Chris Moran told CGTN.

Moran has never seen Area 51 attract so much attention in the eight years she has worked for the state.

"Hopefully this will draw people to check out that area of Nevada," she said, referring to the nearby towns that heavily cater to UFO and alien enthusiasts. 

However, she warns, "Don't go to this base. It's not a tourist attraction."

While many are presumably jumping on the bandwagon just for the fun of it, those serious about their attempts to uncover the mystery behind Area 51 and the Loch Ness monster shouldn't get their hopes up. "Storming" may not be the best approach, but it probably won't stop people from trying other superhero moves.