Creature Feature Friday: the Loveland Frogmen
Valentine’s Day is all about love, romance, and maybe even kissing a few frogs—but in Loveland, Ohio, that’s not recommended. For decades, eerie reports have surfaced of bipedal, frog-like creatures lurking near the riverbanks, watching from the shadows. Are they a lost species, an ancient legend, or something even stranger? This Creature Feature dives in to the mystery of the Loveland Frogmen, cryptids that’s far more unsettling than your average fairytale prince.
1) The Loveland Frogmen first hopped onto the scene in 1955. The first recorded encounter took place one chilly night in May 1955, when a man driving along the Little Miami River spotted three humanoid creatures standing near the road. Described as 3 to 4 feet tall, with leathery skin and webbed hands and feet, these beings were said to have wide, frog-like faces and large, glowing eyes. The driver watched in shock as one of them reportedly raised a wand-like device that emitted sparks, before the creatures disappeared into the darkness.
2) The Frogmen returned in 1972—this time, spotted by the police. Almost two decades later, in March 1972, Loveland police officer Ray Shockey was patrolling the area when he spotted what he initially thought was a large dog crouching near the road. As he got closer, the figure stood up on two legs, stared at him, and then leapt over the guardrail, diving into the river below. Just two weeks later, another officer, Mark Matthews, had his own encounter. However, Matthews later claimed the creature was nothing more than a large, tail-less iguana—a conclusion that many cryptid enthusiasts find suspiciously convenient.
3) The Frogmen haven’t stayed in the past—people are still seeing them. The most modern-day sighting occurred in 2016, when a couple playing Pokémon Go near Loveland’s Lake Isabella reported seeing a strange, humanoid creature in the water. At first, they assumed it was just a large frog— or a big Pokémon?— until it suddenly stood up on two legs and stared at them before disappearing beneath the surface. The witness, Sam Jacobs, later stated: “We were just trying to catch Pokémon, not deal with the Loveland Frog.”
4) Loveland has fully embraced its amphibian residents. Despite the debate over whether the Loveland Frogmen are real, the town has turned its hometown cryptid into a legend worth celebrating. The Frogmen have appeared in books, documentaries, and local folklore, and in 2023, the Loveland Frogman Festival was created to honor the strange and mysterious creature. The event features cryptid-themed merchandise, guest speakers, and even a costumed Frogman running around for photo ops—a far cry from the original eerie encounters.
5) Are the Frogmen a real cryptid, a hoax, or something stranger? With varying reports, denials, and just enough weirdness to keep the legend alive, the truth about the Loveland Frogmen remains murky. Were they escaped exotic pets, misidentified animals, or something more supernatural? The 1955 description of a creature wielding a sparking wand suggests an element of high strangeness, pushing the cryptid beyond just a biological anomaly into something far more mysterious. Whether the Frogmen are the remnants of an undiscovered species, extraterrestrials, or something else entirely, their legend hops on (pun intended), proving that strange love stories don’t always involve humans.
So stay alert this Valentine’s Day— and steer clear of any suspicious-looking frogs.
For more O-HIGH-o strangeness, check out Written Confession: Chrome Sky Sphere Sighted in Ohio, Written Confession: Stick Man Scare in Southeast Ohio, and Creature Feature Friday: Orange Eyes.
