The Colorado Balloon boy thing was just a ruse...

[GlassOnion]

The balloon bit that happened yesterday turned out to be just a ruse. Was going to post this in the balloon thread, but went through 5 pages looking for it and found nothing, so not sure if it's been deleted or the forum actually moves that fast.

Balloon Boy: 'We Did This for the Show' - Boy in the balloon - Gawker

Speaking with Larry King stand-in Wolf Blitzer, an absolutely confused Falcon, explaining why he didn't come out of hiding when he heard his parents calling his name, blurted, "You guys said, that, um, we did this for the show." We assume he's referring to Wife Swap, a show upon which the family has appeared twice.

 

[Laurelin]

Yeah the youtube to that was posted on the balloon thread. I hope their a$$es get fined or better yet sent to jail. That really disrupted a lot of things and wasted a lot of money.

 

[Fran101]

I hope there are consequences for them! what a waste of time and energy

 

[corgi_love]

I heard about this earlier and I have to agree, I hope they get in legal trouble for this!

 

[Sweet72947]

They were just on the news about 20 minutes ago and the parents are of course completely denying that this was a hoax or a publicity stunt.

 

[Dekka]

The police are now saying they don't think it was a ruse.. but aren't saying more. (not sure why they think that)

 

[AGonzalez]

I heard this on the radio last night, no mention of it being a ruse, just that the kid was hiding.

 

[Bailey08]

I wonder if the kid wasn't just confused. He probably had to play up for the cameras while they were filming for the TV show and maybe didn't understand what that was about or that they'd gone away.

Or maybe it was a publicity ruse.

Either way, the reality TV exposure probably wasn't good for that kid!

 

[Dekka]

Police say they don't suspect family was pulling a hoax -  News - MSN CA

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -The Larimer County sheriff in Colorado says they have no indication a family was carrying out a hoax when they reported their 6-year-old son was in a helium balloon that floated away from their home.

The boy was found hiding in the home's garage Thursday afternoon, hours after the balloon launched and travelled more than 50 miles (80 kilometres).

Sheriff Jim Alderden said Friday the suggestion that the boy, Falcon Heene, was coached to hide seems inconceivable. He says the boy thought he was responsible for the balloon coming untied and hid because he was afraid he'd be in trouble.

Questions were raised about the incident after the boy said "we did this for a show" in a live interview with CNN. The boys' parents are storm chasers who appeared in the ABC reality show "Wife Swap," on which wives from two very different families trade places for two weeks....

more in article

 

[FoxyWench]

the boys from the family have posted numberous you tube vidoes of some pretty insane "stunts"
wouldnt suprise me to find out that while the Parents had no idea...that this was some stunt orchastrated by the boys...

 

[Southpaw]

I'm mostly confused at the home footage they have of the balloon taking off... with the parents right there... and they couldn't tell if their kid was in there or not? The dad ends up kicking something and just looks pissed off but no one looks concerned that a child might be in the balloon.

I do think it's a hoax and I thought that as soon as it was confirmed that he wasn't in the balloon. It's just such an odd story and something about the family seems off in their interviews too.

 

[bubbatd]

I THINK I read where he contacted the media before calling 911 .

 

[sillysally]

I THINK I read where he contacted the media before calling 911 .

He apparently called the FAA and a news helicopter (to see if the kid was inside the balloon I'm guessing) before 911. I don't necessarily think that the parents did it on purpose. the kids could have done it without their parents' knowledge, or the kid could just be making stuff up--some kids do that.

 

[Laurelin]

Update:

Sheriff: Charges will be filed in balloon saga - Yahoo! News

 

[nancy2394]

shame on them

 

[bubbatd]

He may be brilliant , but he sure is stupid !