CO - Richard & Mayumi Heene charged in Balloon Boy hoax, Fort Collins, 2009 - #1

[Celt1997]

I really hope this has a happy ending. Regardless of how some people feel about their parenting abilities, this seems like a VERY close family, who love all the time and projects they do together. I really think this would tear them apart if the worst has happened.

 

[Julessleuther]

From what I am hearing on CNN, the CNN staff has researched the two hour videotape of the balloon flight and they feel that there was no basket released during that time....so...(I am going to try and have an intelligent thought again...watch out!)...If that is true, they should be able to determine where the balloon was when the news crew started the feed, and look from that point backward to the house, which should narrow the search area.

 

[Hopeful One]

So it's a FACT that there was a box attached to the bottom and they can't find that? Or is this just random reporters saying this?

 

[amandab]

It's getting worse. Original trackers say the balloon gained altitude at one point quickly. Like it lost weight weight suddenly.

A hungry and cold Falcon should have come home by now.

Not good.

Knowing that point should give them a good place to search, at least.

 

[belimom]

Now they are saying that there might have been a box on the bottom of the balloon that became detached.

Still, looking at the balloon and 's calculations, the balloon should not have been able to get very high with the box/boy attached. They should be looking within a block or two of the house. It's not like they don't know what direction to look in.

The box was meant to carry batteries. If we're talking about car-type batteries - like a battery bank - then if the batteries were not currently in the box then it probably would have lifted with the boy inside. A battery bank is incredibly heavy.

 

[Julessleuther]

Now see, someone does think like me, LOL!!

I started watching video about 20 minutes after lift off and I never saw anything but that bottom oval thing. I never saw a basket. So that should narrow the search area.....damn.

 

[momtective]

Searching Wells County where an official following the craft says he saw something fall from the craft in that area. per Fox News
Boys had video camera's when the incident occurred...

 

[KaylynnCouture]

Weld County Sheriffs Office on FoxNews: The boy was not inside the balloon. Witness reports seeing something "drop from the air". They are doing a search in that area and putting together a search team.

The bottom portion of the balloon was the compartment with the door in it. She says you could get access from the bottom part of it. Larimer (may be spelled wrong) County Sheriffs office has interviewed the family and the siblings. She can't answer any questions about whether or not the kids had video cameras while out there.

 

[ecs5298]

Larimer Co Sheriff's spokesperson now reporting that the brothers in the backyard had video cameras and may have taped the balloon taking off.

 

[momtective]

http://www.kdvr.com/news/kdvr-boy-balloon-pg,0,3574437.photogallery

 

[Kat]

Larimer Co Sheriff's spokesperson now reporting that the brothers in the backyard had video cameras and may have taped the balloon taking off.

Bolded by me.

That strikes me as odd.

 

[Chili Fries]

I really hope this has a happy ending. Regardless of how some people feel about their parenting abilities, this seems like a VERY close family, who love all the time and projects they do together. I really think this would tear them apart if the worst has happened.

Very good post.

 

[tater]

For some background information, here's the guide to the episode the family participated in.
They have a photo of the family.

http://abc.go.com/shows/wife-swap/episode-guide/heenemartel/132697

 

[SuziQ]

Searching Wells County where an official following the craft says he saw something fall from the craft in that area. per Fox News
Boys had video camera's when the incident occurred...

Oh boy, sounds like the three boys got what they thought was a good idea at the time. I wonder if they rinky dinked and attached the basket.

 

[lawlady84]

So far it sounds like from the news and people here who have seen the Wife Swap show that the parents weren't exactly disciplinarians. That makes me think it's LESS likely he'd be hiding somewhere afraid to come home because he thinks he'd get in trouble. If his parents were pretty lax, he probably wouldn't be afraid to get punished.

I'd believe that he's afraid and hiding more if we found out his parents were very strict.

 

[sniperacer]

Now they are saying that there might have been a box on the bottom of the balloon that became detached.

Still, looking at the balloon and 's calculations, the balloon should not have been able to get very high with the box/boy attached. They should be looking within a block or two of the house. It's not like they don't know what direction to look in.

At one point, the onlookers say the balloon gained altitude and speed suddenly. I just don't want to say what this could mean (but you can figure it out. They know the general direction the ballon traveled, but it traveled 80 miles at varying speeds. Still makes a difficult search.

 

[Linda7NJ]

someone said it could lift 100 pounds...I dunno

 

[Mazama]

Now they are saying that a box attached the bottom of the balloon was not there when it landed. Looking for a link.

Maz

:cow:

LARIMER COUNTY - Authorities are searching for a box that was attached to the bottom of an experimental aircraft that took off from a Fort Collins home with a 6-year-old boy inside on Thursday morning. The homemade aircraft made an apparent soft landing northeast of Denver International Airport on Thursday afternoon, but rescue crews found no sign of the boy when they reached the aircraft.

When it landed five miles east of Prospect Reservoir, 9NEWS could not see any child rescued from the basket of the balloon, but earlier Fort Collins Police had said they were certain he was still inside.

Police believe the boy, Falcon Heene, was inside the box when the aircraft lifted off around 11 a.m.

Police say there are pegs on the bottom of the aircraft that indicate that a box was attached at some point.

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=125161&catid=339

Maz

:cow:

 

[Julessleuther]

Ok, so why did the boys have video cameras? Why would they have been taping this if it was just an accident? They said it lifted very quickly, so it is not like the boys had time to run and grab cameras...besides, they would have run to get mom and dad before the cameras I would hope. If the boy was really in the basket, I wonder if the brothers somehow forced him into it and they let it go? I still think it is a big IF, because even with a basket on it, I do not think it would have had the lift.

Larimer Co Sheriff's spokesperson now reporting that the brothers in the backyard had video cameras and may have taped the balloon taking off.

 

[Kimster]

Larimer Co Sheriff's spokesperson now reporting that the brothers in the backyard had video cameras and may have taped the balloon taking off.

Makes me wonder if the brothers set the balloon free on purpose. Kids do stuff like that!