Latest:

04:02 McCanns back in court over book ban
03:02 Troops poised for Taliban offensive
02:42 Haiti earthquake death toll rises
02:42 White Stripes blast 'war' advert
02:32 Playground for pensioners approved
02:12 Rise in illness among UK troops
01:22 Police 'to tempt murder witnesses'
01:22 MPs urged to back tax on banks

Balloon boy hoax rumours as Falcon Heene tells CNN 'we did this for a show'

Family deny episode was a publicity stunt

By Gary Fennelly
Friday, 16 October 2009

Rescuers retrieve the runaway balloon originally believed to have carried six-year-old Falcon Heene (left). Global audiences were gripped as the drama unfolded live on TV news channels

More pictures

Bookmark & Share

What are these?

Hours after the "balloon boy" drama of 6-year-old Falcon Heene, thought to be trapped in a hot-air balloon, speculation intensified that the episode was a hoax orchestrated by the family.

Asked if the incident was a publicity stunt, the boy's father answered: "That's horrible after the crap we just went through. No."

When later asked by CNN's Wolf Blitzer in a live interview why he didn't come out of hiding in a box when called, Falcon looked at his parents, and said, "You guys said that ... we did this for the show." (YouTube videos below).

>Click image to launch gallery

The family did not elaborate on the answer.

When Blitzer later asked what the boy had meant his father Richard Heene said:

"I'm kind of appalled after all the feelings that I went through up and down that you guys are trying to suggest something else."

Earlier in the day the boy's brother had said he saw Falcon Heene get in the balloon before it took off.

The flight lasted two hours and spanned 50 miles, setting off a frantic search.

A bizarre scene was played out live on television as the balloon floated off in the wind, tipping precariously at times before eventually falling to 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 Falcon, possibly by lowering someone to the balloon.

They were also working with pilots of ultralight aircraft on the possibility of putting weights on the home-made craft to push it down.

Falcon: We did it for the show

But the balloon landed on its own in a field and sheriff's deputies secured it to keep it in place.

Northbound departures at Denver International Airport were suspended as a precaution against a possible collision between the balloon and an aircraft.

Father: I'm appalled

The balloon is thought to have been made by the boy's parents for flying into the eye of storms to gather data.

Mr and Mrs Heene are storm chasers and have appeared twice on the ABC reality show Wife Swap.

Mr Heene is the host of a show called The Psyience Detectives which invesigates paranormal activity.

Mr and Mrs Heene also starred in Box Time Playhouse and Box Time Fire Truck and are briefly mentioned in the book 'Acting is Everything' by Judy Kerr.

Sheriff Jim Alderman said he would meet with investigators on Friday to see if the case warranted further investigation.

"As this point there's no indication that this was a hoax," Alderden said.

Comments

First |
Previous
1
2
3
4
Next
| Last

79 Comments

2 words
BAD PARENTING

Posted by Bianca | 23.10.09, 22:43 GMT

Caught red handed! The dad and the mom both knew they were screwed when the boy answered 'we did this for a show'. I would like to see some type of court order to keep these people from appearing and profiting from any reality show....except maybe one from jail and the proceeds go to charity.

Posted by Steve | 18.10.09, 19:01 GMT

Allthough I have little knowledge of "ballooning", isn't their some type of neglect charge for leaving a device such as a balloon accessable to a child? It seems a air-filled balloon would be the equivalent of leaving a car with the engine running...

Posted by Kelly C | 18.10.09, 09:18 GMT

What a scam! Dad obviously gets really uncomfortable, acting as if he can't hear Wolf ask for clarification from the boy. And what a schmuck Wolf becomes, getting all mushy and nice when the dad says he's appalled! Send the dad the bill for the rescue operation, see how that appalls the jerk!

Posted by Mike | 17.10.09, 09:29 GMT

I honestly thought that little boy was stuck in that balloon and thought the worst! They had me fooled. I truly believe this father wrangled his wife and kids into this. No one is innocent. Instead of getting a TV show (for being the dumbest parents known to man), they should take those kids away and send the parents off in a couple of balloons! Seriously.

Posted by Kay | 17.10.09, 08:36 GMT

IF this was a "hoax" shame on them. I cried and prayed for this little boy when I heard the news, and I am sure I was not alone. I cannot believe that people are so starved for attention that they would or could use their children as "bait". I am a grieving mother and I am appalled first by the thought that this could be a hoax, and second media for making this a "joking" matter today. If this is a "hoax" then the parents have succeed in their attention seeking. May they TRULY never feel the pain & suffering of truly not being able to hold your baby boy in your arms again.

Posted by Mindie | 17.10.09, 02:57 GMT

Wow, I already see sites popping up about it: http://diditfortheshow.com/hoax/

You can see the father is clearly lying -- this was definitely a hoax!

Posted by Mike | 17.10.09, 02:48 GMT

Well kids, only in America. Only in America!
We are not all like that, I promise!

Posted by Sherry | 17.10.09, 02:13 GMT

I seriously wonder about the future of a society that has a whole day....to follow a story like this...and then to follow the credibility of the parents...GET A LIFE....VOLUNTEER....PRAY FOR PEACE....
DO SOMETHING!!!
I agree that it was a silly story...maybe unfortunate...maybe costly...but not criminal...move on folks!

Posted by rondi | 17.10.09, 01:51 GMT

I glanced a couple of times at the TV and thought to myself, "That sounds like something that would happen in that family I saw on 'Wife Swap' the other night. I was not at all surprised to learn that it was exactly the same family. I would love to hear the comments of the wife who swapped, and attempted to bring some sense of safety protcols to them.

Posted by Margaret | 17.10.09, 00:36 GMT

I don't believe the father at all. Notice he would not ask Falcon WHY he said, they did it for ''a show'' The father totally avoided the question, then turned around and ''attacked'' the media ... Does he think the public are bunch of idiots? And, anyone who would be interested in "wife swapping" should have their kids taken away from them! What kind of enviornment are these boys living in? I truly hope the PD go after these parents! and find a GOOD home for those boys.

Posted by Marlene | 17.10.09, 00:34 GMT

I think charges should be filed against the parents and the children need to be removed from their care, this is a clear indication if we didn't already have one after seeing this father on Wife Swap that they children are not safe and are obviously neglected.

Posted by Whitney | 17.10.09, 00:18 GMT

Heene is a full on publicity seeker. His kid is throwing up 'cause Dad has made him a co-conspirator in this petty publicity stunt. Why didn't Dad allow Falcon to answer Wolfe Blitzer's simple question: "what did you mean?" Richard Heene should be forced to pay restitution for this fiasco.

Consider:

-Dad calls to tip a news chopper before dialling 911?
-Nobody checks the attic in this tiny house for 3 hours?
-Wife Swap demonstrates that the Heene kids had no fear of discipline and were described as incorrigible.

Posted by Disgruntled Taxpayer | 17.10.09, 00:13 GMT

if you watched wife swap, then you would understand that this family has no normal adult parenting in the household.

Very sad to incude children in your need for publicity and tv spots

but what am I saying, they are not the first parents to put their children in the TV glare

Posted by adult | 17.10.09, 00:02 GMT

I k this is completely irrelevant to the whole hoax thing....but it sort of reminded me about that episode on bernie mac when jordan went up in the hot air ballon and they had to chase him down!

Posted by Anonymous | 16.10.09, 23:51 GMT

It really appears to me by watching the several videos, that the family had perhaps "rehearsed" the entire thing. The children are acting confused as though they are not sure what to say. I agree with previous posts that "we did it for the show" should have been a key in the investigation. How much does the boy weigh? would that effect the travel of the balloon. The finances of the family may need to be investigated. A hoax? I'm voting yes.

Posted by Doug | 16.10.09, 23:40 GMT

Frankly I think everyone is forgetting that the POLICE did a detailed search of the house and they did not find the boy...so the search helicopters were not called to do an ariel search until after officers themselves could not find the child in the house.
People need to get over the matter and move forward. If it was a hoax don't give them what they want which is media attention. If it wasn't a hoax don't be so judgemental and make up reasons why it is.

Posted by Tamra | 16.10.09, 23:26 GMT

Blitzser asked questions , while trying to bypass the father , a lawyer wouldn't be allowed to ask . If this was a hoax , do you really think the little guys father would let him answer questions . Wake up Blitzer , you looked sheepish in Wolf's clothing .

Posted by Fred Mc | 16.10.09, 23:26 GMT

You people who commented are all incredible idiots !!! Did you hear the father's 911 call at all ??!! If any of you have children, you should understand how these things happen with them.....kids can do some incredibly stupid things. You should all be ashamed of yourselves.....you are insensitive morons !!! You are all so ready to believe anything you hear, and part of the blame belongs to the 24-hr news coverage that we have now. Things are analyzed ad nauseum.....and often with a lot of stupidity.

Posted by Kathy Douthit | 16.10.09, 23:16 GMT

we wonder what is wrong in this country. there will be no real penalty if proven that it was a hoax ,the family will probably get a t.v. show except more in the future if the country can bail out aig general motors and the banks, maddoff goes to country club prison huge $ are still given to the people responsible for the mess this country is in the rest is history in the making.

Posted by tim lemke | 16.10.09, 22:43 GMT