photo by cnn
October 16, 2009. Decatur, Alabama located not far from Birmingham is home of the Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic. But nothing can compare to the hot air balloon drama that played out on national television on Wednesday.
The hot air balloon was shaped and looked like a classic UFO from a 1950’s movie flick. It floated through the air with a six-year-old boy inside, powerless to maneuver the craft. Was there enough oxygen inside, will it come down, will he freeze? Everyone was on the edge of their seat waiting for the rescue.
Now everyone is asking was it real?
Over two hours passed as the country watched the miracle landing unfold. The craft landed softly in an open field after near misses with electrical lines. Crews were standing by to rescue the boy. When no one emerged from the craft, hopes were lost. Perhaps he was dead. No one was inside. Did he fall out at some point? Attention focused on the time period before the cameras were turned on. A by stander did report seeing something fall out.
The country hoped and prayed the little boy was hiding somewhere afraid of getting in trouble for untethering the family’s toy. Hours passed without word. In amazement the boy was found…..ALIVE and safe! He had indeed been hiding, cuddled in a cardboard box in the family’s garage attic.
The overjoyed family appeared on CNN’s Larry King Live……and then in an innocent child answer, the boy said to the father “you said it was for a show”. Now everyone wants to know: WAS IT A HOAX?
October 16, 2009. Decatur, Alabama located not far from Birmingham is home of the Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic. But nothing can compare to the hot air balloon drama that played out on national television on Wednesday. The hot air balloon was shaped and looked like a classic UFO from a 1950’s movie flick. It floated through the air with a six-year-old boy inside, powerless to maneuver the craft. Was there enough oxygen inside, will it come down, will he freeze? Everyone was on the edge of their seat waiting for the rescue. Now everyone is asking was it real? Over two hours passed as the country watched the miracle landing unfold. The craft landed softly in an open field after near misses with electrical lines. Crews were standing by to rescue the boy. When no one emerged from the craft, hopes were lost. Perhaps he was dead. No one was inside. Did he fall out at some point? Attention focused on the time period before the cameras were turned on. A by stander did report seeing something fall out. The country hoped and prayed the little boy was hiding somewhere afraid of getting in trouble for untethering the family’s toy. Hours passed without word. In amazement the boy was found…..ALIVE and safe! He had indeed been hiding, cuddled in a cardboard box in the family’s garage attic. The overjoyed family appeared on CNN’s Larry King Live……and then in an innocent child answer, the boy said to the father “you said it was for a show”. Now everyone wants to know: WAS IT A HOAX?
Comments
This was a very interesting news story. :-)
There's a sucker born every minute. I bet my life savings that this con job. Don't be a maroon. Everybody gets played like a chump every once in a while. Did you read Richard Heene's background? The man is a wackadoo. And the Sheriff Dept. doesn't want to admit they got played because their hayseeds too. I put the odds at 100 to 1 it's a con, solely based on what that kid said on Larry King and his background. Any takers? Lay out the cash it's a 100 to 1 odds. If I lose you'll make a killing!
(Seriously, Colorado social services should investigate solely for the kids sake, this man is mentally ill.)
These people are full of crap... if this was truly a hoax and done to gain attention, the authorities should no doubt take action. It's sad and terrible the extreme people go to for attention.
I completely agree with you Steve... Social Services should definitely investigate.
I definitely agree with the message above. This was definitely a hoax.
I don't think it's a hoax....these kids are obviouly out of control and wild...so it would stand to reason they might not know where he is.
What a complete bunch of American homegrown HOOEY.
This is absolutely, 100% a hoax for attention of some sort.
There's something in it for the Heene's, we just don't know what yet.
Watch the interview and listen and watch for clues. It's so clear the me that he's making the story up as he goes along and also, why is his wife so quiet?
Isn't it strange that MOM has nothing much to say about all this, a story that involved her 6 year old in a balloon at 7 thousand feet. C'mon...it's bogus bogus. And CNN and the rest of the media were duped for sure. Again the media has zero credibility! ha ha!
and also...radio stations...680 News and CFRB in Toronto Canada, were completely hosed as this story was just breaking.
This was all made up...the parents are liers! You can tell that the dad is lying from just listening to the interview....he sounds not only nervous....but, when asked to ask his son a certain question...he finds it very diffciult to do. It is very sad that they are getting their own son to lie for their own benefit. What a bunch of loosers!
Irregardless of the many permutations of pop-psychology here, I believe it was just people making stupid mistakes and having a background of grandstanding their odd interests before a lens that now is coming back to bite them.
They do have an M.O. to expect them taking advantage of this event however, after recovering/denial of their public embarrassment and hazing by the merciless and generally uneducated public.
It was more interesting to me the reaction of the newsertainment networks like CNN gorging themselves on the stories ongoing drama and re-purposing the video footage provided many times beyond intelligence tolerances.
The media cultivates this exact garbage. Use with mental caution.
ZG
Hoax for sure. Wreaks of scam, as soon as I heard that the family involve was on reality shows, I was suspicious, and nothing has happened to change my mind since. this guy's a lunatic, and his poor family's along for the ride! And of course mainstream media is eating it up!!!!!
Where is the opening where the boy could have climbed in? There wasn't anything else attached to the balloon when it lifted off so it could only be that cup-shapped thing on the bottom. So if that was a copartment the boy could have climbed into then they could show us the opening. That is the only way I will believe that it wasn't a hoax and that the boy really could have been on board.
It seemed awkward that the dad could not look at the camera while being interviewed after boy was found....Someone that should have been so thankful and relieved should have been able to look at the camera while being interviewed.
Mr. Heene’s suggesting that he honestly thought that his child was in the balloon that he sent aloft is clearly a lie. A balloon creates lift in the same way a boat does, by displacing an amount of air equal in weight to the vessel. In the case a boat each cubic foot of water displaced will lift 60 pounds, in the case of a helium balloon it takes 16 cubic feet of displaced air to lift one pound or about a thousand cubic feet to have the same lifting force as one cubic foot of water.
This knowledge of a balloon’s lifting ability is basic high school physics. Clearly this is something that the father, a designer of balloons would know. As soon as the balloon hit the ground and a man could be seen standing by it, it was clear that it was a disk only about 25’ in diameter and less than 5 feet thick. That would make its volume only about 130 cubic feet and its displacement under 10 pounds. As soon as I saw how small the balloon was it was clear it was a stunt. The fact that so m
It appears to me that the bottom of equipment compartment is different in home video launch verses news broadcast landing
This was no hoax.
The family represents all that is good with the American media, and current government.
Sometimes things may not appear on the level, but people just have to trust what is reported, or they are simply traitors..!
THE PARENTS WERE ON WIFE SWAP AND THEY LOVE TO GET ATTENTION... THIS WAS ALL A HOAX TO GET THEIR FACE ON TV
i agree with a previous poster...that balloon was not large or strong enough to carry off a child. did you see how flimsy it was? and the video that was released the moment the balloon flew out of the backyard, with the dad's over-the-top anger. totally made-up. and the whole wife-swap thing. this guy's fifteen minutes were up before they even started, and he wanted more.
JZ Is a blind idiot. I predict the truth will come out. even then JZ will be to stubborn to admit any wrong doing(stupid lib) even with the truth in JZ's face. Wake up the media is ruining this country
JZ..Traitor is when a president goes all over the world telling everyone how bad his country is.wake up dummy.This is the greatest country in the world. why punish sucess?
OH and forgot to mention who cuts their hair, now thats child abuse.lol
What's the matter with you knuckleheads? Multiracial families can do no wrong in this world controlled by the tribe.
I may well have been a hoax but how would you act if ur child was last seen by the balloon then it take off I don't think it was a hoax
Your article makes no sense.
this family was on wife swap too so they're obviously looking for attention
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