Balloon boy odyssey was staged, parents may be charged (Roundup)

Oct 18, 2009, 20:36 GMT

A contraption sits in the backyard of the Heeney home in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA 16 October 2009. A home built balloon owned by Richard Henne came untethered from the backyard 15 October and flew over 70 miles (112 Km) before landing near the Denver airport. Authorities at first thought 6-year old Falcon Heene had climbed into the balloon prompting a massive search and rescue mission. The child was later found in the attic of the family garage. The Balloon reached heights of more than 7000 feet (2133 m) as Television viewers watched the event live. EPA/BARRY GUTIERREZ

Washington - Colorado police said Sunday that the parents of six-year-old Falcon Heene, who was thought to have been carried off by a helium-filled balloon last week, had staged the stunt to get publicity.

Colorado Sheriff Jim Alderden said at a press conference that police had been 'manipulated' by the parents of the boy, who were seeking to profit from the publicity generated by the event.

On Thursday, world media carried the story of the boy who was believed to have climbed into a flying-saucer-shaped helium balloon moored in his back yard, and was carried off over the state when it came loose.

A search then ensued when the child was not found inside the balloon when it landed. He was later found at home.

Alderden said, 'We hope to charge parents with conspiracy and false reporting.'

He said the family planned the stunt for two weeks and called the parents 'actors' who met in acting school and hoped to use the incident to pitch a reality television show.

The father of the boy, Richard Heene, had denied repeatedly that the incident was a publicity stunt for the experimental helium balloon he had designed and built and kept in his backyard.

Law enforcement officials, military and media aircraft chased the helium-filled balloon for two hours as live broadcasts held the country transfixed. But when it landed, the child, Falcon, was no longer on board.

After rising fears Falcon had fallen out, he was found hiding in a box in the attic apparently scared of getting a scolding from his dad. He had never been on board.

Alderden called in Heene and his wife Miyumi for a second round of interviews Saturday afternoon and searched the family's home, seizing computers and other records.

Heene and has family have participated in TV reality shows such as 'Wife Swap' and there were questions about whether he had created a stunt to capture media attention and boost his profile.

The drama began midday Thursday when one of Falcon's two brothers reported that the flying saucer-shaped balloon had inadvertently taken off after the child had climbed into it. After authorities were alerted, news helicopters began tracking the helium-filled craft as pictures of the drama played out and rescuers tried to figure out how to get the balloon under control.

After a two-hour journey the balloon crash-landed in a Colorado field, but the boy was not found inside prompting fears that he may have fallen out. Though a police search of the family's house and surrounding areas failed to locate the boy, he eventually came out by himself from his hiding place in a box above the garage.

The five-member Heene family has been giving daily television interviews to the major broadcast and cable networks, during which the child Falcon has thrown up several times from the excitement.

Speculation that the incident may have been staged increased when Falcon looked at his father during a CNN remote interview and said, 'You said, 'We did this for the show'.' Heene, a scientific tinkerer and storm chaser, looked at his child sternly, then dismissed such speculation as 'pathetic.'

In another round of interviews on Saturday, the CNN reporter tried to pin Falcon down about what he meant with the 'show' remark.'

This time, Heene refused to relay the question.

'I am kind of appalled that after all the feelings I experienced up and down that you are asking this,' Heene said, ending the interview.