Photo by Alyse Horn
Fred Broerman (front) and Brian Reed (back) search an area of the woods in Riverview Park for paranormal activity.

By Alyse Horn

The Northside Chronicle was contacted by East Hills Paranormal to tag along on its exploration of Riverview Park in search of ghostly activity. The investigation took place on Wednesday, July 9.

East Hills Paranormal has been to Riverview Park before to investigate supernatural happenings, and that is part of the reason members decided to come back again.

On the previous visit, a member of the organization took a photo near a picnic table along the road that runs through the park and captured an orb, which are believed to be ghosts in the form of balls of light.

East Hills Paranormal member Fred Broerman said that he believed the entirety of Riverview Park may be home to many spirits, as he has heard rumors that there are Native American burial grounds in the park and structures of old homes where people could have died, and their souls could still be lingering.

Before the investigation began, Broerman explained the equipment used to pick up paranormal activity: a heat gun, voice recorder, voltage meter, and a standard digital camera and video camera.

Broerman, along with fellow member Brian Reed, first began investigating in the area around the picnic table where the orb was first captured using the digital and video cameras. To coax the spirits to engage with the East Hills Paranormal team, Broerman said loudly, “Are there any spirits here? We’re not here to harm you. We are here to prove there is life after death.”

Reed said that paranormal activity varies depending on the situation. There can be no activity in the beginning of an investigation, and then increase towards the end, or vice versa.

After using the cameras, Broerman used the heat gun to try and pick up any cool spots surrounding the area. He said when he first arrived to the investigation area the temperature was 105 degrees, but when he took out the gun for a second time the temperature had dropped to the low 70s.

“When its cooler, between the 70s and 50s, it can sometimes mean something is there,” Broerman said.

The team took into consideration that it would be cooler in the wooded area rather than out in the sun, but that didn’t deter the search. Reed then took out the voice recorder to see if any spirits would interact with the team when questions were asked.

Bill Hesidence also came along for the investigation after Broerman invited him. Hesidence said he believes that the spirit lives on after death and was curious to see something in person.

Any spirits in the area did not seem to make themselves present in the first area, but that doesn’t mean the equipment didn’t pick up ghostly evidence. Broerman said after the investigation they would give their findings to fellow member Josh Shelton to go over on a computer.

After the first area, the team traveled to several more spots in the park to try and interact with the paranormal. In one instance, it sounded like the team successfully picked up something, or someone, breathing into the voice recorder while Broerman and Reed were asking questions. The recorder was sitting on the table away from everyone’s faces, so it isn’t likely the recorder picked up any living person breathing.

The last stop at Riverview Park was an old home foundation near Locust Grove where Broerman was told by Hesidence that a murder and suicide had taken place.

Nothing was picked up on in that area, at around 7 p.m. and still light outside.

“Personally, it seems like we get more activity at night,” Reed said.

Before the sun set, The Northside Chronicle left Riverview Park in one piece, leaving East Hills Paranormal to investigate the bumps in the night.

East Hills Paranormal is based out of Pitcairn, and is looking for new members to join. If interested, visit its Facebook page or email easthillsparanormal@yahoo.com.

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