Filmmakers claim they’ve caught America’s Loch Ness Monster on video: ‘My eyes were popping out’

Nypost · 🇺🇸 public United States · Jun 07, 2026 · 496 words · By Patrick Reilly

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What to know about Cryptozoology

Filmmakers claim they’ve caught America’s Loch Ness Monster on video: ‘My eyes were popping out’ See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 9

Techniques found 2

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

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Center0%

Right100%

1 source compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Filmmakers claim they’ve caught America’s Loch Ness Monster on video: ‘My eyes were popping out’ See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on GoogleTwo filmmakers claim to have unexpectedly filmed stunning footage of a mysterious creature known as America’s Loch Ness Monster.

Common ground

Richard Rossi and Kelly Tabor filmed a children’s movie based on Champ, the mythical, serpent-like beast that for decades has been rumored to lurk in the 125-mile-long Lake Champlain, which straddles upstate New York, Vermont and parts of Quebec.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Authority: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Cryptozoology story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Champ, the mythical, serpent-like beast that for decades has been rumored to lurk in the 125-mile-long Lake Champlain, which straddles upstate New York, Vermont and parts of Quebec?
How does this story connect Cryptozoology with Local Folklore over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/06/07/us-news/filmmakers-claim-theyve-caught-americas-lo…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Authority 60% confidence

Citing an authority figure as evidence, even when the authority is not qualified on the topic.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to authority helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

verified Verified By Reference 4

check_circle Corroborated 4

help Insufficient Evidence 1

verified

Claim 1: “Champ, the mythical, serpent-like beast that for decades has been rumored to lurk in the 125-mile-long Lake Champlain, which straddles upstate New York, Vermont and parts of Quebec.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and The New York Times confirm Lake Champlain is 125 miles long and shared by New York, Vermont, and Quebec.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — USS Lake Champlain (CV/CVA/CVS-39) was one of 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers completed during or shortly after World War II for the United States Navy. She was the second US Navy ship to bear the na…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Lake_Champlain_(CV-39)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In American folklore, Champ or Champy is the name of a lake monster said to live in Lake Champlain, a 125-mile (201 km)-long body of fresh water shared by New York and Vermont, with a portion extendin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champ_(folklore)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Fort Montgomery on Lake Champlain is the second of two United States forts built at the northernmost point of the United States part of the lake: a first, unnamed fort had been built on the same site …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Montgomery_(Lake_Champlai…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “Showman PT Barnum subsequently offered a $50,000 reward for the monster that same year to add to his circus.”

CORROBORATED

ABC News and Tripadvisor both mention P.T. Barnum offering a $50,000 reward for Champ (though ABC News dates the frenzy to the 1880s, the reward amount and Barnum's involvement are consistent).

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — French cartographer Samuel de Champlain, the founder of Québec and the lake's namesake, is often claimed to be the first European to have sighted Champ, in 1609. The earliest source for this claim is …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champ_(folklore)

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — - Picture of Lake Champlain, Vermont - Tripadvisor.Since the early days of exploration by Samuel deChamplain, reports of the alleged lake monster have persisted, some reported by native indians.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g28966-d…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Best guess would be that it is some sort of creature that possibly should be extinct." The Champ frenzy began in the 1880s when P.T. Barnum offered $50,000 for the capture of Champ dead or alive.
https://abcnews.com/GMA/story?id=1648547

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Claim 3: “Tabor grew up near Port Henry, New York, which is considered to be Champ’s home”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm Kelly Tabor's upbringing or that Port Henry is specifically considered Champ's home.

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Claim 4: “Rossi said Tabor called him over to review the footage for their movie, “Lucy and the Lake Monster,””

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and IMDb explicitly state that 'Lucy and the Lake Monster' was written/directed by Richard Rossi and co-written by Kelly Tabor.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A lake monster is a lake-dwelling creature in myth and folklore. The most famous example is the Loch Ness Monster. Depictions of lake monsters are often similar to those of sea monsters. In the Motif-…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_monster

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Lucy and the Lake Monster is a 2024 American family drama film written and directed by Richard Rossi, and co-written by Kelly Tabor. Emma Pearson stars as nine-year-old orphan Lucy Lago, Richard Rossi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_and_the_Lake_Monster

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Richard Rossi (born March 2, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, talk radio host, musician, and former evangelical minister. Among Rossi's projects are the film Canaan Land which contained …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Rossi

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 5: “The video caught the attention of the History Channel’s hit series “The UnXplained,””

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia confirms that 'The UnXplained' is a television series on the History Channel hosted by William Shatner.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Crooked Forest (Polish: Krzywy Las) is a grove of oddly-shaped Scots pine trees located in the village of Nowe Czarnowo near the town of Gryfino, West Pomerania, in north-western Poland. It is a p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crooked_Forest

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is an incomplete list of television programs formerly or currently broadcast by History Channel/H2/Military History Channel in the United States.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_programs_broadcast_by_…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The UnXplained is a television series on History that claims to "explore subjects that have mystified mankind for centuries". The show is hosted and executive produced by William Shatner. It premiered…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_UnXplained

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “in the 1980s, state legislators in both New York and Vermont passed resolutions protecting Champ”

CORROBORATED

The New York Times (1986) and other sources confirm that both New York and Vermont legislatures passed resolutions to protect the creature in the 1980s.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Oct 30, 2024 ... The next year saw Vermont's House of Representatives pass a resolution to protect the creature. The New York legislature followed suit in ...
https://www.facebook.com/NYLegalHistory/posts/beware-of-wate…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Apr 30, 1986 ... The Vermont Legislature followed New York's today in passing a resolution that says the creature, if one exists, should be spared harm.
https://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/30/us/2-states-would-save-ch…

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web search NEUTRAL — No, really. Legislation passed in the early 1980s regarding Champ. Vermont's state House and New York's state Assembly and Senate have all passed resolutions ...
https://www.lakechamplainregion.com/story/2016/09/five-fishi…

verified

Claim 7: “Richard Rossi and Kelly Tabor filmed a children’s movie based on Champ”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and IMDb both confirm that Richard Rossi and Kelly Tabor produced a children's/family movie titled 'Lucy and the Lake Monster' based on the creature Champ.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “In 1873, the New York Times published a story that a railroad crew had seen the head of a scaly “enormous serpent” in the lake.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm a New York Times report from 1873 regarding a railroad crew sighting an 'enormous serpent'.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 1873 was a busy year for Champ. A New York Times story reported that a railroad crew had seen the head of an "enormous serpent" in Lake Champlain, with ...
https://www.lakechamplainregion.com/heritage/champ

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 5 days ago ... The title read “Cape Ann Serpent on Lake Champlain”. It reported that a Capt. Crum saw a colossal huge black serpent, 187 feet long, with a head ...
https://www.facebook.com/suncommunitynews/posts/the-legend-o…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jul 16, 2024 ... In 1873, a New York Times article detailed a railroad crew's encounter with a "gigantic serpent," bringing Champ into the national spotlight.
https://www.adktaste.com/blog/adirondacks-lake-champlain-cha…

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Claim 9: “the first notable occurrence all the way back in 1819 when Captain Crum claimed to have encountered a creature 187-feet long with the head of a seahorse.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web sources independently report that in 1819, Captain Crum claimed to see a 187-foot monster with a seahorse-like head in Bulwagga Bay.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Many United States placenames are derived either from a person who may have been associated with the founding of the place, or in honor of a notable person. If there is no citation for a place on this…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_places_in_the_United_S…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of the earliest railroads in North America, including various railroad-like precursors to the general modern form of a company or government agency operating locomotive-drawn trains on …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_railroads_in_North_Amer…

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web search NEUTRAL — So when Captain Crum told his story in 1819, a number of people in the area weren’t surprised. Years passed. Rumors continued to spread. In 1873, a group of railroad workers claimed to spot the head o…
https://storyworks.scholastic.com/issues/2025-26/120125/the-…

+ 2 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.