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Up, up, and away.
On October 15, 2009, millions tuned in to their televisions, witnessing what seemed like a harrowing event: a homemade helium balloon floating over Colorado, purportedly with a 6-year-old boy on board, drifting away from his anxious parents. The child soon became known nationwide as the “balloon boy.”
Described by NBC News as an event that “riveted the nation,” the unfolding drama broadcasted live captivated viewers until it was revealed to be an elaborate hoax orchestrated by the boy’s parents in a bid for fame.
Here’s what to know about the story that captured the nation’s attention.
What happened during the Balloon Boy Hoax?
This saga started before noon in Fort Collins, Colorado. Richard and Mayumi Heene claimed to the media and authorities that their six-year-old son, Falcon, had accidentally taken off in a large, homemade silver balloon shaped like a flying saucer.
The couple claimed that Falcon had climbed into the balloon, which had accidentally become untethered from their backyard. The story became a national emergency.
The Colorado National Guard dispatched helicopters, and Denver International Airport briefly halted flights, the Christian Science Monitor reported. Homeland Security became involved in the high-profile case, People recalled in a look back at the amazing case.
Live TV broadcasts followed the balloon’s surreal journey across northern Colorado, per NBC News, days after the incident. When it finally landed near Keenesburg, Colorado, rescuers rushed in — only to discover the balloon was empty.
Hours later, Falcon was found safe, hiding in the family’s garage. At first, it seemed like a misunderstanding — maybe a frightened child avoiding trouble.
But suspicions mounted after a live CNN interview that evening, in which Falcon turned to his father and said, “You guys said that, um, we did this for the show,” The New York Times reported. The comment instantly raising suspicion that the entire episode may have been staged.
Who was involved in the Balloon Boy Hoax?
The Balloon Boy Hoax centered on Richard Heene, a “fame-seeking backyard scientist,” per the same New York Times report, and his wife, Mayumi Heene. The couple falsely claimed their 6-year-old son, Falcon, had mistakenly floated away in a helium balloon.
Attracting attention was the apparent motive. Before Richard phoned the police to report the supposed incident, “he called a local TV station and asked them to send a news helicopter,” noted the Times.
Their dramatic stunt captivated the nation, involving local authorities, the FAA, and media outlets — until young Falcon deflated the stunt thanks to a televised moment of truth.
Falcon, who was supposedly inside the balloon, made the naive comment during the CNN interview that played a pivotal role in unraveling the gassy deception.
Prior to the Balloon Boy controversy, the Heenes, who have two other sons, Bradford and Ryo, had gotten a taste of reality-TV notoriety by participating in the ABC reality show Wife Swap, not once but twice.
The network described the family as “alien buffs obsessed with science and UFOs,” NBC News reported in October 2009.
According to ABC’s description of one episode profiling the family, the Heenes devoted “their time to scientific experiments that include looking for extraterrestrials and building a research-gathering flying saucer to send into the eye of the storm,” per the NBC report.
The Heenes face the consequences
The day after the incident, authorities began treating the event as a potential scam. The Heenes soon found themselves under investigation for conspiracy, filing a false report, and attempting to deceive authorities.
Richard initially publicly denied the episode was a hoax, but investigators said Mayumi admitted to them that it was a strategized stunt.
The aim of the prank? In an affidavit, Mayumi Heene said the goal was to make the family “more marketable for future media interest,” per an NBC News report.
In November 2009, Richard Heene pleaded guilty to attempting to influence a public servant, a felony, and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, including weekend incarceration and probation, NBC News reported in December 2009.
“I’m very, very sorry. And I want to apologize to all the rescue workers out there,” Richard Heene said after he was sentenced, NPR reported.
Mayumi pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of false reporting to authorities and served 20 days of supervised jail time. Additionally, they were ordered to pay $36,000 in restitution to cover emergency response costs. They were also forbidden from profiting off the incident.
The aftermath of the Balloon Boy Hoax
The Balloon Boy hoax became a cultural flashpoint and media frenzy, sparking debates about parenting, media sensationalism, and the ethics of reality television.
The episode also spurred widespread coverage in popular culture, including parodies on Saturday Night Live and South Park.
In the years following the incident, the Heene family largely faded from the public eye. The family relocated to Florida, and later to New York.
The Heene sons formed a metal band called Heene Boyz, which has performed in various venues and leaned into their notoriety as a unique branding tool. Their first single release was “Balloon Boy No Hoax,” the New York Post reported.
For years, members of the family have denied that this was a hoax, reported People.
In a twisty turn of events, Colorado Governor Jared Polis pardoned both Richard and Mayumi Heene in December 2020, officially clearing their criminal records. After the pardon, Richard Heene told The Denver Post, “I’m flying high.”
Though the Heene family has since moved on and even been officially pardoned, the Balloon Boy Hoax continues to be a landmark moment in the history of viral news and public deception — a bizarre episode in which a child’s offhand remark let the hot air out of a hoax.
