People will do just about anything to get some attention. This was the premise of the Balloon Boy story, which gripped the nation in the fall of 2009.
A homemade helium balloon carrying a 6-year-old floated off, igniting a massive rescue. The parents were beside themselves with worry and panic. The nation watched in horror, thinking the boy was trapped and would eventually perish. The family had a sick secret that wasn’t being shared with the public, despite constant attention and coverage of the balloon. It turned out to be a publicity stunt by the parents seeking reality TV fame. The boy was just hiding in the attic, creating a bizarre mix of media circus and parental mischief.
Where it all started
On October 15, 2009, a homemade helium balloon took flight, with a design that was meant to resemble a flying saucer. This balloon began flying over Fort Collins, Colorado, which is harmless enough, but the strangeness began with the parents reported their son was trapped inside the balloon. Richard and Mayumi Heene claimed their six-year-old son, Falcon, was inside the balloon, which would eventually crash and could spell serious trouble for the youth, especially over the Colorado mountains.
Why wasn’t 911 first?
The first indication that the Balloon Boy story was a hoax and the family was only seeking some form of fame came when it was found out who the father called first. You would think that the first people to call in a true emergency, such as a small child trapped alone in an airborne balloon, would be to 911 to alert emergency personnel, but that wasn’t the case. Eventually, the New York Times reported that the father first called KUSA-TV, which is a Denver NBC affiliate. He asked if they could send a news helicopter to observe and report the balloon’s activities.
The story quickly spread
The story of a boy trapped in an airborne helium balloon quickly spread across the country as many local and national news outlets picked up the story to follow along as the balloon traveled several miles during 90 minutes in the air. Some experts estimated the balloon reached an altitude of 7,000 feet, which would have been extremely scary if the boy had been inside. The Colorado sheriffs and National Guard got involved in the efforts to save the boy, and commercial flights were diverted. Eventually, the balloon touched down on a farm north of the Denver International Airport.
Where was Balloon Boy?
Once the balloon touched down, rescue teams approached the craft only to find that Falcon was nowhere to be found. He wasn’t in the balloon, so where could he be? Despite the local sheriff’s deputies having searched the family home twice, Falcon admits he was hiding in the garage attic. He said he played with his toys and then took a nap in the attic.
During the media circus that ensued, the young boy admitted that his parents told him they created this hoax for show. The goal was to get the family its 15-minutes of fame, which certainly worked. Everyone bought into the idea that a boy was trapped in the balloon, because they had no way to prove otherwise. Despite denying these allegations at first, the parents eventually admitted they knew Falcon was in their home the entire time.
Falcon threw his parents a curveball
Court documents surrounding the Balloon Boy incident revealed the plan was hatched approximately two weeks before the incident took place. The Heene family consisted of three children, and the others were told to lie to authorities and the media regarding the hoax. What the parents didn’t count on was what Falcon actually did during the incident.
Falco had been instructed by his parents to hide in the basement, not the attic. When his parents couldn’t find him in the basement, they were genuinely concerned that he had gotten into the balloon. This allowed the reunion between mother and son to be extremely believable, at least until later that night when Falcon told the truth.
The hoax brought infamy
Fame and infamy are extremely similar. The Heene family and the hoax of the balloon with a child inside became the story of the Netflix documentary Trainwreck. This meant some fame and spotlight for the family. It might make you wonder why anyone would fabricate such a story, but Richard Heene is known as an inventor, a bit of a mad scientist, an actor, and a stand-up comedian. His desire for the unobtainable spotlight could be what fueled his decision to create such an elaborate hoax, regardless of the consequences.
Parents charged, but not harshly
In November 2009, Richard pled guilty to a felony charge of attempting to influence a public servant. Mayumi pled guilty to a misdemeanor of false reporting to authorities. This led to light sentencing and the family has moved to New Hampton, NY, where Richard seems to keep up the charade that the incident wasn’t a hoax and he has ideas for inventions that could improve the lives of many people.
The Balloon Boy incident, whether a hoax or a real emergency, shines a light on how desperate some people can be to gain a little bit of attention, even if it comes at a cost. In this case, the cost might not have been high enough, but at least it’s in the past.
Sarah Johnson