On the morning of November 9, 1979, Robert Taylor, a forestry worker for the Livingston Development Corporation, parked his truck near the M8 motorway and walked up Dechmont Law with his dog. In a clearing he said he saw a dark 'flying dome' about seven yards across, with a rough metallic surface and a rim set with small propellers.
Taylor said two smaller spheres with spikes, like sea mines, rolled toward him, grabbed his trouser legs and dragged him toward the dome. He smelled something like burning brakes and passed out. When he came to, the objects were gone and his dog was barking.
Taylor got home with his trousers torn and grazes on his chin and thighs. Police found marks in the ground at the clearing and recorded it as an assault, which is why it is often called the only UFO case that became a criminal investigation. Ideas offered since include an epileptic seizure; Taylor stood by his account until he died in 2007.