HOW BOUT THAT FLYING KID

[texasmade]

anybody see that on the news?

[RobsanX]

Balloonboy was not in the balloon!

[texasmade]

yea it would be funny if he was sleeping somewhere...all that ruckus over nothing

[sgreger1]

What exactly happened with that, something about a kid and an air baloon accident. Seems like it would be a story made of gold but I didn't hear the details.

Anyone care to enlighten me?

[tom502]

DEVELOPING: A homemade balloon slowly descended in a Colorado field Thursday, but the fate of a 6-year-old boy believed to be inside was not known, authorities said.

The bizarre scene played out live on television and prompted fears that the flying saucer-shaped balloon would crash with the young child inside.

The child was identified as Falcon Heene, the son of a Colorado weather-chaser. The boy and his family first appeared on the ABC series "Wife Swap" on Oct. 3, 2008 and were voted back for the 100th episode of the show, which aired on March 13, 2009.

Police in Colorado were performing a ground search for the boy.

Cathy Davis of the Larimer County Sheriff's Department told reporters the balloon was owned by the boy's parents and tethered behind the family's home. She said two sons were playing outside when the older boy saw the younger one go into a compartment at the bottom of the balloon and fly away.

"We'll just have to respond the best we can," Davis said. "This is a first and we'll do what we need to do."

She said the family was in contact with experts to provide details on the craft, including what it's made of and what might happen when it reaches the ground.

The Colorado Army National Guard sent an OH-58 Kiowa helicopter and was preparing to send a Black Hawk UH-60 to try to rescue the boy, possibly by lowering someone to the balloon. They also were working with pilots of ultralight aircraft on the possibility of putting weights on the homemade craft to weigh it down.

But the balloon landed on its own in a dirt field. Sheriff's deputies secured it to keep it in place, even tossing shovelfuls of dirt on one edge.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Eloise Campanella had said the device had the potential to rise to 10,000 feet.

The balloon reached an elevation of 8,500 feet and reached a speed of nearly 60 miles per hour, Fox 31 in Colorado reported. It wasn't going "frighteningly fast," Fox 31 reporter Kim Psey said.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown said the agency tracked the balloon through reports from pilots and that air traffic control facilities in the region are aware of the situation.

On ABC's Web site used to promote their show portrays the family as thrill-seekers.

"When the Heene family aren't chasing storms, they devote their time to scientific experiments that include looking for extraterrestrials and building a research-gathering flying saucer to send into the eye of the storm," the Web site.

The Heene’s received criticism of their chaotic parenting style when Karen Martel of Connecticut entered the household as the new ‘wife.' Karen’s husband runs a child-proofing business and she knew a thing or two about safety.

According to a recap on TVRage.com, the 100th episode finds two families swapping with each other who are returning by a viewers vote.

"One mom believes she is psychic and can speak with the dead, plus has control over the weather. The other is a family of storm chasing science-enthusiasts. The kids in the families will face off in a table meeting"

Larimer County sheriff's spokeswoman Eloise Campanella said the device had the potential to rise to 10,000 feet. Sheriff's officials last saw the device floating south of Milliken, which is about 40 miles north of Denver. The craft was reportedly traveling at about 25 miles per hour.

The FAA cleared airspace near Denver International Airport.

"We were sitting eating, out looking where they normally shoot off hot air balloons. My husband said he saw something. It went over our rooftop. Then we saw the big round balloonish thing, it was spinning," said neighbor Lisa Eklund.

[zmanzero]

just finished reading about that, sure hope the kid didn't fall out... sheesh...

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology...ory?id=8837704

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=8838306

[sgreger1]

"One mom believes she is psychic and can speak with the dead, plus has control over the weather. The other is a family of storm chasing science-enthusiasts. The kids in the families will face off in a table meeting"


Definately just gained a viewer to add to the ratings.

On wife swap they should have an uber-fundamental christian family that denys science and evolution and believes the earth is only 6,00 years old, and have them wife swap with Stephen Hawkin's family lol. That would be epic.


Intiresting story though, this kid rocks, glad he didn't get hurt.

[dEFinitionofEPIC]

poor kid... he took that loss to the Phillies pretty hard. decided he needed to find another place to live to escape the pain.

in all seriousness though... thats a shame.

[Premium Parrots]

its all a hoax. he was hiding in a cardboard box at home

[Mr. Snuffleupagus]

The video of that balloon flying through the air was pretty funny looking. Reminded me of a UFO B movie.

[texasmade]

i like how when it landed they all ran up to it then stood around it...i was half expecting for them to open fire when the cam blacked out a couple of times

[zmanzero]

its all a hoax. he was hiding in a cardboard box at home

yep. here's a vid of the beaming father basking in the glow - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540...35430#33335430

[Liandri]

GET TO THE BALLOON!

Balloon boy wins this years "greatest troll" award.

[sheilalynn]

PWND!

Gotta love 6 year olds...sometimes they just don't know how to lie when asked a question, hehe. And the way his dad wouldn't even ask him a question that Wolff wanted him to ask the boy was just too funny. "err, um, ahhh, hmmm, eh...are you saying we set this up?" :lol:

[Mullolley]

When this story was first developing I knew something was up. A balloon that size wouldn't even be close to being able to lift a kid that age, and the father would know that, since he's obviously really good at building UFO balloons.

But maybe that's what he thought, but wasn't sure so he got scared. Okay. Still, why would you have a huge fully filled helium balloon just chillin' in your yard with nothing to prevent your young children from entering it?

At first, I thought these parents killed their kid and invented this to cover it up. Then, when they "found" him, it still seemed fishy. Now after I've seen the interviews, it's obvious that they're all hiding the truth. I hope the dad goes to jail for wasting everyone's time and resources if this is proven to be a hoax.

PS. That family seems really f***ing weird.

Did anyone see this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQsVlFfqxWE