Boy Floats Away in Balloon

[RockRaines]

I was talking with my sister, and she said she read that supposedly the balloon was incapable of even lifting a small child... especially a 6 year old.

 

Anyone see the Mythbusters Episode where they tried to fly a small child with helium balloons? A balloon of this stories size simply couldn't lift the child.

The balloon in question was used to carry rockets into a weather system, so it most likely had never even been tested for a child. Probably why they made the hoax involved the smaller kid so that it was somewhat believeable. This family is totally screwed up anyway.

[southsider2k5]

What a messed up story. How long before this kid is into booze and drugs?

[whitesoxfan101]

I don't blame the media for taking the story, at all - media is a business, and people are fascinated with s*** like this. For so many obvious reasons. This is actually an example of the media being smart.

 

Family all tells the same story - we are fairly sure the kid is in there. So, the cops and media do what they both had to do - follow the balloon. The cops should have ALSO searched the house, sounds like they did, just not well enough.

 

The people to blame here are the goofy ass family.

 

Well if people are fascinating with s*** like this, then it just shows how stupid people are. I'm glad I wasn't home as this story played out, because what a pile of garbage it is. I hope that family gets in some sort of trouble for perpetuating such a stunt, especially since it worked exactly as they hoped it would and people were dumb enough to buy such a story.

Edited October 16, 2009 by whitesoxfan101

[bmags]

What a messed up story. How long before this kid is into booze and drugs?

 

don't you mean how long before the kid gets cool?!?!

[Kyyle23]

don't you mean how long before the kid gets cool?!?!

 

 

His name is Falcon, his parents are Tornado chasers/UFO hunters/Mad scientists.

 

 

This kid is either already cool, or never will be.

[Rex Kickass]

The dimensions were plotted to be 20 x 5 or 1,000 square feet. The known lift of helium placed the max lift at 100 pounds. And of course that isn't lift to 5,000 feet. Plus you have to subtract the weight of the mylar

 

It wasn't that big actually, the shape reduced the amount of cubic footage in the balloon. A few experts that were on TV said that judging from the reported dimensions, and the shape, it likely couldnt have held more than 20 pounds, and thats fully inflated which it wasn't.

 

And for that matter, why aren't these kids at school at 11 AM on a Thursday in October?

[G&T]

Apparently, according to FoxNews articles, they took their kids with them when storm chasing. So they have no problem putting them in harm's way.

 

Earlier that month, on July 12, 2007, Mayumi Heene told the paper they had a close call while tracking a tornado in Buckeye, Colo., but the children were oblivious to the risks.

 

"I think they really are having fun," Mayumi Heene told the paper. "They get so much more that they can't get from any other entertainment."

 

Richard Heene added, "I think I have odd kids. They start screaming with excitement."

 

Heene's former business partner, Barbara Slusser-Adams, told Fox News that she split from Heene last fall in part because of the dangerous situations experienced by the young boys, particularly during Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

 

"I had some problems with that," Slusser-Adams said of Heene's desire to take his boys toward the Texas coastline to track Gustav. "I did not feel I wanted to join them on that venture."

 

Slusser-Adams praised Heene's knowledge of storm chasing, but she noted that the pursuit centers around public exposure for Heene's entire family — including Falcon, who was the subject of a multi-county search after the balloon came down without him in it. He later was found in the family's garage.

 

"He's grown up in this type of atmosphere where things are a show," Slusser-Adams said. "This business is about publicity, it truly is."

 

link

Edited October 16, 2009 by G&T

[Kyyle23]

Apparently, according to FoxNews articles, they took their kids with them when storm chasing. So they have no problem putting them in harm's way.

 

cnn mentioned the father has submitted i-reports of him and his kids tracking and chasing hurricanes in the past year

[Rex Kickass]

Sherriff on CNN today:

 

Father's first three calls.

 

1. FAA

2. TV station

3. 911

[BigSqwert]

[HuskyCaucasian]

thread over

[DukeNukeEm]

Unusual s*** is newsworthy. This definitely qualifies as unusual.

 

However, I'll never stop complaining about Missing White Woman Syndrome.

There are about 310 million people who live in the United States. With that many people everywhere unusual s*** happens every single hour of every single day. But when the lead on every network and every homepage is about something as pointless as this it just reminds me of how mundane all of our lives really must be to even care.

 

Unusual s*** that qualifies as news is something like landing an airliner in the Hudson River or sawing your arm off to get out from a boulder. Those were feats that very few people could even have fathomed doing, OTOH this story is a pretty standard case of stupid people being stupid.

[NorthSideSox72]

There are about 310 million people who live in the United States. With that many people everywhere unusual s*** happens every single hour of every single day. But when the lead on every network and every homepage is about something as pointless as this it just reminds me of how mundane all of our lives really must be to even care.

 

Unusual s*** that qualifies as news is something like landing an airliner in the Hudson River or sawing your arm off to get out from a boulder. Those were feats that very few people could even have fathomed doing, OTOH this story is a pretty standard case of stupid people being stupid.

 

Yeeeeeaaaaaaaahhh.... reports of a 6 year old boy floating away in a homemade weather balloon? Pretty standard.

 

[mr_genius]

reports of a 6 year old boy floating away in a homemade weather balloon? Pretty standard.

 

lol

[southsider2k5]

Yeeeeeaaaaaaaahhh.... reports of a 6 year old boy floating away in a homemade weather balloon? Pretty standard.

 

pwnage

[lostfan]

I just waved at a 6 year old that flew over my house as I was standing on my deck.

[DukeNukeEm]

Yeeeeeaaaaaaaahhh.... reports of a 6 year old boy floating away in a homemade weather balloon? Pretty standard.

Yea the story itself changes but the principle remains the same. If you want people to pay attention to you just (dont) do something ridiculous, kinda like this kid. The news media just churns out retarded s*** like this and somehow, someway people will not only lineup at the trough for feeding but defend their indefensible obsession with worthless news stories.

 

You are what you eat cable news watchers.

[whitesoxfan101]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_balloon_boy

 

Sheriff: Boy-in-balloon was hoax, charges expected

…

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The story that a little boy had floated away in a giant helium balloon was a hoax concocted to land a reality television show, authorities said Sunday, and the boy's parents will likely face felony charges.

 

The stunt two weeks in the planning was a marketing ploy by Richard and Mayumi Heene, who met in acting school in Hollywood and have appeared on the ABC reality show "Wife Swap," Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said. The Heenes have reportedly been working on a reality TV deal in Los Angeles.

 

Investigators are examining the possibility of other conspirators, "including the possibility that even some of the media outlets may have had some knowledge about this," Alderden said.

 

Documents show that a media outlet has agreed to pay money to the Heenes with regards to the balloon incident, Alderden said. He didn't name the media outlet, but said it was a show that blurs "the line between entertainment and news." It wasn't clear whether the deal was signed before or after the alleged hoax, or whether that media outlet was a possible conspirator.

 

Six-year-old Falcon Heene may not have even been hiding in the rafters of the family's garage during the intense five-hour search for him Thursday, Alderden said.

 

"For all we know he may have been two blocks down the road playing on the swing in the city park," the sheriff said.

 

The stunt temporarily shut down Denver International Airport and caused the National Guard to scramble two helicopters in an attempt to rescue the boy, who was believed to be inside the flying-saucer shaped homemade balloon that hurtled more than 50 miles across two counties.

 

The drama played out on live television to millions of viewers worldwide. When the balloon landed without the boy in it, officials thought he had fallen out and began grim search for his body.

 

In fact, the balloon — which was held together with duct tape — would not have been able to launch with the 37-pound-boy inside, Colorado State University physics professor Brian Jones has determined.

 

The parents weren't under arrest, the sheriff said. He said he expected to recommend charges of conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, making a false report to authorities and attempting to influence a public servant. Federal charges were also possible.

 

The most serious charges are felonies and carry a maximum sentence of six years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Alderden said they would be seeking restitution for the costs, though he didn't have an estimate.

 

The cost for just the two military helicopters was about $14,500.

 

Richard and Mayumi Heene were shopping for snacks at Walmart with their three sons as Alderden told reporters that the whole thing was a hoax.

 

Richard Heene told The Associated Press he was "seeking counsel."

 

"This thing has become so convoluted," Heene said as tears welled in his eyes. He said his wife was holding together better than he was.

 

The couple's attorney, David Lane, issued a statement later Sunday saying the Heenes were willing to voluntarily turn themselves in to face charges. Lane said he advised the family against making public statements.

 

The sheriff said all three of the Heenes' sons knew of the hoax, but likely won't face charges because of their ages. The oldest son is 10. One of the boys told investigators he saw his brother get in the balloon's box before it launched.

 

Heene, 48, a storm chaser and inventor, has described himself as an amateur scientist, but Alderden said Heene has only a high school education.

 

"He may be nutty, but he's not a professor," Alderden said.

 

Alderden said that during the drama, the family's actions led them to believe the story was genuine. But during an interview on CNN Thursday night, Alderden said investigators had an "aha" moment when Falcon turned to his dad and said what sounded like "you had said we did this for a show" when asked why he didn't come out of his hiding place.

 

On Friday, Falcon got sick during two separate TV interviews when asked again why he hid.

 

Alderden said they didn't question the family Friday because they wanted to keep the family's cooperation by maintaining the appearance that they believed their story. Richard Heene was asked to stop by the sheriff's office under the pretext that he needed to pick up his balloon, and was questioned once he got there.

 

With Heene gone, other investigators went to the house. Alderden said they were looking for computers, e-mails, phone records and financial records.

 

Records show that police have responded to the house at least twice in the past year, including a possible domestic violence incident in February. No charges were filed.

 

Alderden said officials tried Saturday to persuade Mayumi Heene, 45, to go to a safe house, but she declined.

 

"We talked to her at length about domestic violence, about her safety, about her children's safety," the sheriff said. "We have a concern, but we didn't have enough that would allow us or child protective services to physically take the kids from that environment."

 

Alderden said the children were still with the parents Sunday morning, and child protective services had been contacted to investigate the children's well-being.

 

"Clearly, from all indications, Mr. Heene has somewhat of a temper," Alderden said.

 

As to the hoax that could end up with one or both in prison:

 

"It certainly got big and whether anybody realized it that it would get the type of international media attention, I suspect this is probably beyond what they thought," Alderden said.

 

No surprises here. Even the fact that the stupid ass media might have been in on this doesn't surprise me.

[DukeNukeEm]

Keep up defending the coverage of this guys, I feel like you really proved me wrong.

[kev211]

Keep up defending the coverage of this guys, I feel like you really proved me wrong.

There was the thought that a 6 year old was in a balloon. What if he really was in it and the media just said f*** it its just a hoax?

 

What exactly would you rather have had them cover Thursday afternoon. No planes landed in the Hudson as far as I know.

[NorthSideSox72]

Keep up defending the coverage of this guys, I feel like you really proved me wrong.

LOL, keep up trying to win a war no one disagrees with while picking the wrong battle.

 

[Kyyle23]

Daddy Balloon is F***ED

[NorthSideSox72]

Daddy Balloon is F***ED

As he should be. The more we learn about him and his wife, the more clear it seems that these folks are unstable and probably ruininf the lives of their children. Maybe the media attention this has gotten will result in something positive - that these kids will end up being raised by someone who isn't a lunatic.

 

[HuskyCaucasian]

Thumbs up to Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden for playing dumb and tricking this dumb ass family into a lie detector test and the subsequent investigation of the house.

[BigSqwert]

What exactly would you rather have had them cover Thursday afternoon.

How about news. Afghanistan, health care, Iraq, the recession, etc. You know...things that matter.