Balloon Boy is a Fake: A Story of Bad Parenting
On Thursday, the entire country turned their attention to the harrowing story of a 6-year-old boy who had crawled into a huge experimental helium balloon and floated miles and miles away in the air. When the balloon finally landed, the situation became even scarier because the little boy wasn’t inside.
“The situation grabbed the nation’s attention early Thursday afternoon, after authorities reported that the experimental helium balloon was set adrift with the 6-year-old (named Falcon) apparently riding in it.
Heene said the family was in the early stages of working on the balloon — a “3D low-altitude vehicle” — when the contraption and the boy went missing.
His brother had said he watched Falcon get into the balloon before he untied the tethers, setting it free. Heene later said Falcon was videotaped getting into the vessel by his brother, but “obviously he got out.”
Once it was untethered, the saucer-like craft flew eastward from the Heenes’ neighborhood, though officials couldn’t immediately confirm how fast it was going.
Authorities said the silver balloon, 20-feet long and 5-feet high, at times reached 7,000 feet above the ground while adrift. It was found more than 90 minutes later in a field near Colorado Springs.” (read more)
It was discovered that the little boy had been hiding in the attic and the whole country breathed a sigh of relief. Then, the story began to unravel. Falcon’s parents, science enthusiasts Richard and Mayumi Heene, were featured on the 100th episode of ABC’s prime-time program “Wife Swap” in March 2009. In a later interview with CNN’s “Larry King Live,” Falcon said he heard his parents call for him from the garage. When asked by his father on-air why he didn’t respond, the boy replied, “You guys said we did this for the show.”
Today, the Sheriff in Fort Collins, Colorado announced that the entire balloon incident was a hoax perpetrated by Falcon’s lime-light seeking parents. Charges are to follow.
What do you think should happen to Falcon’s parents? Should they be charged for the police time spent tracking the balloon and all the costs the state incurred? What do you think about parents who deliberately teach their children to lie for their own personal gain?
image: nydailynews
