Six-Year-Old Boy Floats Away in Homemade UFO Balloon
It's happening in Colorado right now. A boy climbed into an helium balloon that his parents were building, untied the rope, and took off. No one knows how to get him down. Updates in comments, boy's missing after balloon lands
Update: This story may be quickly going from odd news to tragedy. CNN has reported, but not confirmed, that the boy has fallen out of the balloon.
The boy is Falcon Heene, son of Mayumi and Richard, who is a scientist and storm chaser. The family has twice appeared on Wife Swap, which is where we got this picture. He is the youngest boy, picture in the center.
The aircraft is 20 feet by five feet, covered in shiny foil, and shaped like a giant flying saucer. It is flying through the air as television helicopters photograph the action for everyone sitting home watching cable news. He is in a plywood structure at the base of the balloon that was left unlocked. The wind has taken the balloon from the family's home in Fort Collins and it is flying untethered. It is currently about 40 miles north of Denver, but who knows how far or fast the balloon can fly. The parents who made this thing say that it can go as high as 10,000 feet.
Naturally, since things like this don't happen every day, no one knows quite what to do to get it down and not harm the boy who is trapped inside. Good luck, god speed, and we hope this kid is OK!
Update: Here's footage of the balloon landing.