Balloon Boy: The Hoax That Shut Down America
"In 2009, the entire country watched live as a homemade flying saucer floated across Colorado — and a little boy was supposedly inside. He was not."
What Happened?
Richard Heene, an amateur scientist and storm chaser, had appeared twice on the reality show "Wife Swap." In October 2009, he reported that his 6-year-old son Falcon had accidentally released and become trapped in a homemade balloon shaped like a flying saucer. The balloon traveled 50 miles across Colorado at up to 7,000 feet. News networks covered it live. The FAA cleared a flight path. Authorities prepared for an emergency landing. When the balloon touched down with no one inside, a search began. Falcon was found in a box in the attic. Later that night on CNN, when asked why he had hidden, Falcon said: "You guys said... we did this for the show." The family was charged with filing a false police report.
Why People Are Talking About This
In 2009, the entire country watched live as a homemade flying saucer floated across Colorado — and a little boy was supposedly inside. He was not.
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