OMG This poor child

[Niels Bohr 72]

He's safe. That is all that matters. Situations like this is where it intimidates people who really need help to get another question, "Is this a hoax?" However, when the situation requires immediate urgency, it can't be help to give that attention. In those kind of situations, if the question was asked then someone's life may not been saved due to the timing.

Although, if it's a hoax, they'll just suffer the consequence afterwards. It's just better to save someone's life first then ask questions.

[웃 910]

Colo. Sheriff: Charges Will Be Filed in Balloon Scare

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Authorities are pursuing criminal charges in the case of a boy who vanished into his parents' garage while the world feared he was trapped aboard a helium balloon — prompting speculation of a hoax.

Sheriff's deputies are also searching the home of Richard and Mayumi Heene, the parents of 6-year-old Falcon.

Larimer County officials showed up at the Fort Collins home of the Heenes with a warrant around 10 p.m. MDT and at least three of them began a search. Sgt. Ian Stewart declined so say what they were after.

Richard and Mayumi Heene met with Larimer County investigators for much of Saturday afternoon, but Sheriff Jim Alderden didn't say who would be charged or what the charges would be.

Alderden didn't call Thursday's hours-long drama a hoax, but he expressed disappointment that he couldn't level more serious charges in the incident, which sent police and the military scrambling to save young Falcon Heene as millions of worried television viewers watched.

"We were looking at Class 3 misdemeanor, which hardly seems serious enough given the circumstances," Alderden said. "We are talking to the district attorney, federal officials to see if perhaps there aren't additional federal charges that are appropriate in this circumstance."

Suspicion that the balloon saga was a publicity stunt arose almost immediately after Falcon was found in the garage rafters, hiding in a cardboard box. Richard Heene, a storm chaser and inventor whose family has appeared on the reality show "Wife Swap," and his wife had said one of the boy's older brothers had said Falcon was aboard the homemade balloon when it took off.

Alderden initially said there was no reason to believe the incident was a hoax. Authorities questioned the Heenes again after Falcon turned to his dad during a CNN interview Thursday night and said "you said we did this for a show" when asked why he didn't come out of his hiding place.

But an anonymous student told Web site The Business Insider that he worked with Heene in 2009 on potential reality show proposals to pitch to ABC.

The student said he and Heene pitched a show that would include several pranks, one of which was similar to the high-flying balloon incident, according to The Business Insider.

"When Mr. Heene is denying having any involvement with this being for a show — when the little kid, Falcon, says 'Dad, you said to go hide in the attic, we're doing this for the show' — and then he's adamantly denying that, that's when I started cracking up because I have proof that that's not true," the student said.

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

Alderden said Saturday that deputies were seeking a search warrant for the family's home, and there would be more information at a news conference Sunday.

After the sheriff went inside, Richard Heene and his wife walked out. As reporters yelled questions, all Heene said was, "I was talking to the sheriff's department just now." He then walked to his car with his wife and a friend, and they drove away.

Child Protective Services had also reportedly been asked to interview the Heene family and Alderden said they would "probably open an investigation."

He called the move to contact CPS standard in cases involving children.

It wasn't clear where the family was late Saturday night. By 9 p.m., an AP reporter at the family home said the couple hadn't returned after leaving the sheriff's office. Their three sons were believed to have been at home being watched by sheriff's officials earlier in the day, but their whereabouts also weren't known to reporters in the evening.

The day began with Richard Heene knocking on the windows of journalists camped outside his home and promising a "big announcement." A few hours later, he did an about-face when he told reporters that they should leave questions in a cardboard box on the front doorstep.

As Heene walked away, a reporter shouted, "Can you tell us once and for all if this is a hoax?"

"Absolutely no hoax. I want your questions in the box," Heene said, waving a cardboard container before going back into his home.

A circus-like atmosphere formed outside, including men holding signs and occasionally yelling "balloon boy." One sign read, "Put balloon boy on TV: America's Most Wanted."

Other gawkers carried aluminum-foil stovetop popcorn makers that resembled the a flying saucer-like helium balloon launched from the family's backyard Thursday, with 6-year-old Falcon Heene believed to be onboard.

The Heenes have said the balloon was supposed to be tethered to the ground when it lifted off, and no one was supposed to be aboard. A video of the launch shows the family counting down in unison, "3, 2, 1," before Richard Heene pulls a cord, setting the balloon into the air.

"Whoa!" one of the boys exclaims. Then his father says in disbelief, "Oh, my God!" He then says to someone, "You didn't put the (expletive) tether down!" and he kicks the wood frame that had held the balloon.

Falcon's brother said he saw him inside the compartment before it took off and that's why they thought he was in there when it launched. Heene said he had yelled at Falcon before the launch for getting inside.

Over the years, Richard Heene has worked as a storm chaser, a handyman and contractor, and an aspiring reality-TV star.

He and his family appeared on the ABC reality show "Wife Swap," and the show's producer said it had a show in development with the Heenes but the deal is now off. TLC also said Heene had pitched a reality show to the network months ago, but it passed on the offer.

Despite his attempts to get on TV, Heene insisted Saturday that he didn't know what kinds of questions were being asked about him because he didn't have cable.

"I'm going to place the box out front. Please write your questions down, because friends are telling me they're saying this and that. I have no idea what the news is saying," Heene said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[MrsCat 6]

[alienlovechild 75]

The balloon story was a hoax. What kind of parent expects that their kids won't play with a UFO balloon? The guy may was well left a gun on the table and expect his three sons won't play with it. I thought saw the family video of the kid getting in the balloon then cut away to the top of the balloon but couldn't find the footage. The brother who filmed it thought his brother got in but didn't film that part? Reminded me of the Faces of Death phony footage.

The father comes across as guy seeking the limelight. He was dragging his son through interviews when he was getting sick.

Edited October 18, 2009 by alienlovechild

[Welshcookie 17]

I didnt follow the story as it was happening, but i did catch an interview with the family and all the kids at 6.30am yesterday after the interviews the night before .... the kid got up and went to puke .... god only knows why those parents were putting them up on TV for hours on end....oh wait....

They should be billed for everyone's waste of time and be ashamed of how they used that kid for shameless publicity.

[Darnell 8,480]

Yikes - a hoax after all? http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-1...lloon-boy_N.htm

Let's see what happens on Monday?

Yikes !

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Yikes - a hoax after all? http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-1...lloon-boy_N.htm

Let's see what happens on Monday?

Yikes !

I beat you to it.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=223860

[Ggreen 12]

*Bush it* never ends.