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

[lawlady84]

Err... here's another picture of the object allegedly falling.

 

[impatientredhead]

Was Balloon Boy Chase a Hoax?

by Ground Report October 15, 2009


Hours after the "balloon boy" drama of a 6-year-old allegedly trapped aloft a homemade hot-air balloon gripped the nation, some are wondering whether the child's fame-seeking parents made the whole thing up.

Why? First, the family is no stranger to reality TV, thanks to two appearances on the television program "Wife Swap." Second, the father, Richard Heene, is the host of a show called The Psyience Detectives, which invesigates paranormal activity.

Last year the father posted the video below on CNN's iReport, allegedly "clearly showing civilization on Mars." He ends with the phrase, "This is not a hoax.

After the balloon landed without anyone inside, CNN reported that Larimer County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Eloise Campanella said, "At this point, we are thinking that he did not fall out of the balloon and is somewhere on the ground. The basket itself was not breached. It does not look like he fell out of it, but again, this is all conjecture."

"I'm very confident we will find him. I think it's a matter of him being a little scared," she said. "Maybe he's not ready to be found."

CBS is also questioning whether the event was a publicity hoax, citing aviation experts who said the balloon couldn't have been carrying the boy, and report by Falcon's brother that he saw him fall out.

 

[Kimster]

http://www.kdvr.com/news/livestreaming/

They are now talking to a searcher. The area they are searching is several miles. They are trying to cover all bases (child in balloon, child never being in balloon). They will continue through the night if possible.

 

[Patty G]

Just read an article that said the news stations played the footage on a 10 second delay in case something awful happened. I was wondering as I was watching it what would happen if he was in there and just fell out.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2009/10/cable-news-networks-riveted-by-balloon-boy.html

I was watching it live on FOX and at one point they took the camera off the balloon and to Shep, however on the Internet they were still filming live.

Not sure what they would have done via the Internet if the child was in the balloon.

 

[Kat]

oh lawlady84, oh man that doesn't look good

 

[Carolina Girl]

I pray he is okay. I am afraid he is not.

 

[kai]

Is this the right county? I am like Suzi in that I can't access scanners.

Hope this helps?

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?ctid=275

Fort Collins, CO where the balloon started is in Larimer County

Most of the ground the balloon flew over is in Weld County

 

[Trino]

Weather Channel just explained the balloon was 5ft x 20ft and was never meant to carry a passenger.

 

[Patty G]

Expert on HLN thinks there is a secret with the boys and the two other children know where the other child is. Can't say what I am thinking about the expert.

 

[Kat]

Fort Collins, CO where the balloon started is in Larimer County

Most of the ground the balloon flew over is in Weld County

Thanks Kai.

I thought it might help because there are close to a thousand listeners on the three different scanners listed on that webpage.

I can't access it though.

 

[TexasLil]

Fort Collins, CO where the balloon started is in Larimer County

Most of the ground the balloon flew over is in Weld County

I have the Larimer County Scanner playing on my iphone now but all the searchers switched to a different channel. I'll keep it up just in case I hear any communication back to the dispatch though.

 

[Kimster]

They just showed a video clip here: http://www.kdvr.com/news/livestreaming/

of the balloon as it was taking off. I don't know if they've posted the video to their site yet or not - so keep an eye out for it!

I didn't see the very beginning and the part I saw I felt was too difficult to tell if there was a basket on the balloon or not.

 

[legalmania]

I'm praying for you Falcon: I'm really worried this much time and you haven't been found.

 

[Linda7NJ]

the family has to have a picture of what the balloon looked like including the basket. they really should release a picture of what this basket/compartment looked like so the people in the area watching TV can go out and LOOK for something tangible

Maybe the kids attached it? I can see my kid at age 6 ...with a laundry basket........

 

[Kimster]

KUSA is reporting there was never a basket attached, per HLN news.

 

[lawlady84]

Expert on HLN thinks there is a secret with the boys and the two other children know where the other child is. Can't say what I am thinking about the expert.

These "experts." They forget that MOST 8 year old boys aren't nefarious evil liars.

 

[Noway]

Heard that the Air Nat'l Guard is doing search using infrared technology ...

 

[legalmania]

Cnn reporting that there was no basket or box attached to balloon.

 

[January.]

Now there was never a basket? Why is this story changing so much?

 

[lonetraveler]

The scale of this picture doesn't seem like a basket that would hold a person. Perhaps the box that the camera they referenced might have been housed. But compared to the bottom of the balloon where the people sized basket would have been attached it seems way too small for him to have been in.

I'm never surprised at the small spaces a child can squeeze into. I think the boys chose the smallest one to get into the box because he was the only one who would fit.