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Pilot of homemade balloon found hiding in White House attic
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Demonstration of the White House hiding place before the intrepid flight. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
(Urgent update 6:30 AM MT change "helium" to "hydrogen")
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – In a scene eerily reminicent of the 1994 O.J. Simpson "Ford Bronco" chase, a homemade helium balloon was tracked on live television on a trek through fifty miles of Colorado sky.
During the sensational flight, authorities believed the aircraft to be "piloted" by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. News sky-copters and Colorado National Guard mountain rescue units were scrambled to track the aircraft and plot a dangerous rescue.
After approximately two hours of flight, the intrepid craft came to Earth of its own weight and was quickly snared by first responders. A search of the aircraft revealed it to be unoccupied.
After a frantic search, the suspected pilot of the craft, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, was found to be hiding in a cardboard box in the White House attic. Presidential daughters Sasha and Malia admitted to smuggling peanut butter cookies and apple juice to Gibbs throughout the amazing ordeal.
Gibbs, 38, has been Press Secretary since January 20. This has not been his first fake flight in an aluminum balloon, but it is his most spectacular to date.
Gibbs said that he was trying to figure out what to say about President Obama's Nobel Peace Price when the idea for the fake flight just came to him as if from a vision. After the announcement of the Prize, Gibbs' official reply was, "wow."
Asked this morning about the imaginary flight in the aluminum balloon, Gibbs responded that he just did it "for the show." Afterwards, he appeared to get queasy, and then abruptly ended the interview. No further clarification of his statements has been forthcomming.
Please standby for further updates to this breaking story.
== Outlinks ==
Reaction: Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/10/09/reaction_obama_wins_nobel_peac.html
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