The "Balloon Boy" Incident

Balloon Takes Off - With Boy? — Lisa Eklund

The bizarre incident involving the "Balloon Boy" began on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009, when a homemade balloon aircraft owned by the Heene family took off from their Fort Collins, Colo., home. It was believed that the Heenes' 6-year-old son, Falcon, was on board the craft when it accidentally lifted off.

Cathy Davis of the Larimer County Sheriff's Department told reporters the balloon was owned by the boy's parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene, and tethered behind the family's home. She said two sons were playing outside when the older boy saw the younger one, identified as Falcon, go into a compartment at the bottom of the balloon and fly away.

The incident played out live on television, capturing viewers' attention, traveling more than 50 miles and landing two counties away. The incident set off a frantic scramble by the military and law enforcement before the balloon slowly touched down without the boy inside. He was later found hiding above the family's garage.

The Heene family, clockwise from back left, Richard, Mayumi, Ryan, Falcon and Bradford are shown at their home in Fort Collins, Colo. on Nov. 15, 2008. The family appeared on the reality series "Wife Swap" twice, most recently in March 2009. On the show, they were described as a science-obsessed family (Richard is an amateur meteorologist and storm tracker) who lives on the edge.

Falcon Heene is shown at his home in Fort Collins, Colo. on Nov. 15, 2008. His family's first "Wife Swap" appearance was so popular that viewers voted to have them return for the series' 100th episode.

Investigators with the Adams County Sheriff's Department are seen at the scene where a homemade balloon aircraft landed in a plowed field east of Hudson, Colo., on Oct. 15, 2009. The balloon floated after a boy was seen climbing in, setting off a frantic scramble by the military and law enforcement before the balloon slowly touched down, more than 50 miles from where it took off, without the boy inside.

Investigators with the Adams County Sheriff's Department are seen at the scene where a balloon landed in a plowed field east of Hudson, Colo., on Oct. 15, 2009. A young boy, believed to be inside the balloon, was instead hiding in his family's garage, and police now say the incident was a planned publicity stunt.

Six-year-old Falcon Heene is shown with his father, Richard, as they emerge from the family's home in Fort Collins, Colo., after Falcon was found hiding in a box in a space above the garage on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. Falcon at first had been reported to be aboard a flying-saucer-shaped balloon fashioned by his father and then carried by high winds on to the plains of eastern Colorado.

Balloon Boy Hoax — AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Falcon Heene, 6, is shown with his father, Richard, outside the family's Colorado home on Oct. 15, 2009. The story that Falcoln had floated away in a giant helium balloon was a hoax concocted to land a reality television show, authorities said Sunday, and the boy's parents will likely face felony charges.

Falcon Heene, front right, is hugged by his mother, Mayumi, as photographers crowd around them after a news conference outside the family's home in Fort Collins, Colo., on Oct. 15, 2009. The story that Falcoln had floated away in a giant helium balloon was a hoax concocted to land a reality television show, authorities said Sunday, and the boy's parents will likely face felony charges.

Falcon Heene, 6, shows where he was hiding in the garage of his family's home in Fort Collins, Colo., on Oct. 15, 2009. Suspicious that the bizarre incident was a hoax fired up when, during a live interview with CNN, Falcon said he had heard his family calling his name but did't come out because his parents "said that we did this for the show." His father denied the notion that the whole thing was a big publicity stunt.

Falcon Heene, 6, sits on the roof of his family's van outside his home in Fort Collins, Colo., on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. The balloon stunt involving Falcon is now believed by authorities to have been a marketing ploy by his parents, Richard and Mayumi. The Heenes have reportedly been working on a reality TV deal in Los Angeles.

Falcon Heene, 6, sits in the box of his family's pickup truck outside their family's home in Fort Collins, Colo., on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009, after he was found not to be floating away on a homemade balloon aircraft, as believed, but hiding in a box in a space above the garage.

The Heene family is seen on CBS' "The Early Show," on Friday, Oct. 16, 2009, with Falcon sitting second from right. The 6-year-old boy at the center of the runaway balloon saga got sick twice on national television when he and his father were asked during separate TV interviews what he meant about his comment that "we did this for the show." He became ill during interviews on ABC and NBC's morning news shows.

The Heene family is seen on CBS' "The Early Show," on Friday, Oct. 16, 2009. The story that Falcon, second from right, had floated away in a giant helium balloon was a hoax concocted to land a reality television show, authorities said Sunday, and the parents will likely face felony charges. A lawyer representing the Heene parents said late Sunday that his clients are willing to turn themselves in to face any charges.