 |
| Six-year-old Falcon Heene peeks out from behind the leg of his father, Richard, during a news conference outside the family's home in Fort Collins, Colo., after Falcon Heene was found hiding in a box in a space above the garage on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. Falcon Heene 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. |
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) -- 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 traveled more than 50 miles.
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."
