Balloon Boy Busts Parents

[Starbrite]

They also showed a clip where the parents were there when the balloon took off and were yelling for him to get out. Funny thing is, in this clip when it took off there was no basket. I thought the story was that there was basket that fell off.

Marsha

Wait.

Are you saying there is a clip from yesterday? They were filming as the balloon actually took off from their yard? I haven't seen or heard about this one. Anyone have any links? Did the parents sound worried?

 

[TLHB70]

You can see that raw footage video of the balloon lift off on the GMA link I posted above.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Wait.

Are you saying there is a clip from yesterday? They were filming as the balloon actually took off from their yard? I haven't seen or heard about this one. Anyone have any links? Did the parents sound worried?

It's on the same page as the link to the GMA video the OP posted. The dad looks really angry. He kicks a chair. The mom seems worried because the balloon took off. It doesn't appear she's yelling "Falcon! OMG!" or anything else that a typical parent would yell if their son just went up in an unstable balloon.

 

[rgf207]

The dad was just crying on the Today show (NBC.) I don't think he's very believable.

if you call that crying. He was attempting to cry but could not. He's not a very good actor.

 

[sunnyday123]

GMA also had someone who was once a friend of the Fathers, who said he didn't doubt it was a hoax and that they were always putting the kids at risk by taking them storm chasing, etc. He also said the guy was an attention seeker, and the risking the kids is why they parted ways.

What a loser.

 

[NHdisneylover]

The little boy looks like he really felt ill this morning and sounded like he was--but am I the only one who finds it odd that when he was asked at the begining of the interveiw how he felt he said "Good--SO FAR" what an unusual way for a 6 year old to answer that question.

 

[5lilfish]

If it was a stunt...that's sick.

Truthfully, though, having watched the interview, the boy may have been a little confused. He sounds like he might be trying to say that they are there (being interviewed) because of the show and all the media coverage. I know my son, at 6, would get very mixed up and give very weird answers when he was uncomfortable and being 'grilled' over and over again to explain himself.

It could be a hoax...but I wouldn't judge the situation based off of what a 6 yr old, that has had to answer a lot of uncomfortable questions (over and over again...sometimes in front of a camera) says.

Jess

 

[lovetoscrap]

I wonder how much this stunt costed city/counties? Anyone heard a number yet?

News is saying that the helicopters alone were $14,500 .


I am wondering if there are laws about launching a balloon like this in to airspace? I would think this could be very dangerous if it got into flight paths? Maybe they balloon got away from them and the Dad was afraid that he would be in big legal trouble for it so they quickly concocted this story hoping that the sympathy would keep them out of trouble.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

News is saying that the helicopters alone were $14,500 .


I am wondering if there are laws about launching a balloon like this in to airspace? I would think this could be very dangerous if it got into flight paths? Maybe they balloon got away from them and the Dad was afraid that he would be in big legal trouble for it so they quickly concocted this story hoping that the sympathy would keep them out of trouble.

Yes. Yesterday on MSNBC they had a experimental craft person on and he said that you have to get permits to build/fly them.

Now I don't think we know yet if the dad had permits for the craft.

 

[5lilfish]

2 stories that help me keep my judgement in check...

1) When I was 3, there was a big flood. I went missing and my parents freaked out. They thought I had drowned. They had people searching for me. I had gone into the livingroom, tucked myself into a small space between the couch and wall and I fell asleep.

2) When my son was just about 6, he was jumping on his bed, fell and gave himself a black eye. The story was that simple. The next day he would/could not give his teacher a straight answer about how he got his black eye. He ended up being sent down to talk to the social worker. Eventually he was able, by use of roll playing dolls, to explain what had happened. Until then, though, the social worker was brought in to rule out child abuse.

Jess

 

[krcit]

2 stories that help me keep my judgement in check...

1) When I was 3, there was a big flood. I went missing and my parents freaked out. They thought I had drowned. They had people searching for me. I had gone into the livingroom, tucked myself into a small space between the couch and wall and I fell asleep.

2) When my son was just about 6, he was jumping on his bed, fell and gave himself a black eye. The story was that simple. The next day he would/could not give his teacher a straight answer about how he got his black eye. He ended up being sent down to talk to the social worker. Eventually he was able, by use of roll playing dolls, to explain what had happened. Until then, though, the social worker was brought in to rule out child abuse.

Jess

I think it is pretty common for a kid to hide when they are scared. I did it twice as a kid-once when the toaster went on fire and another time when the UPS truck ran over my tricycle. I ran and hid under the bed and my mom and the UPS guy were frantic b/c they thought he had hit me. However, my BS detector was going off the entire time with this thing. I am very happy that the boy is ok but that family has some screws loose and I think it was a hoax that got out of hand.

 

[jfoofj]

A girl I work with had the neighbors, town police, state police, search dogs, the whole shh-bang out looking for her little boy a couple weeks ago when she couldn't find him. Turns out he fell asleep and was between the mattress and the wall, covered in blankets (thank God!). He was missing for less than an hour, and woke up to complete chaos, but I bet it was the worst hour of his parents' life. Stuff like this DOES happen, even to great parents, but I am getting more and more skeptical about the balloon boy story the more I hear. If it was a stunt, then it was a really horrible thing to teach your kids, and an enormous waste of resources.

 

[goofy!]

The dad was just crying on the Today show (NBC.) I don't think he's very believable.

if you call that crying. He was attempting to cry but could not. He's not a very good actor.

Just curious.

If he is so unbelievable, how in the world did he fool an entire kitchen full of cops, a profession that can spot a liar in a heartbeat, for an entire day?

The cops are convinced the parents didn't fake it.

I don't know what to believe.

The parents are weird enough that it is completely believable that they would try a stunt like this.

However, they also don't appear smart enough or good enough actors, as evidenced by their interviews, to completely con our outstanding law enforcement officers.

 

[TiggerTails57]

The father was very angry, Falcon went and hid......the parents looked for him, could not find him. They assumed he was in the balloon.......
Falcon fell asleep in the garage attic.......(the kids look a little sleep deprived).
As for the comment on CNN six year olds get mixed up.
My son could not remember how old he was one time in Pizza Hut, they used to charge kids by times their age.......he told the waitress the wrong age LOL It was going to cost us more so we spoke up.......but, it looked like we were lying.

 

[Embel]

Maybe the police are saying that they don't suspect a hoax so that the family will feel comfortable enough to continue talking to people & possibly incriminate themselves? If so, it seems to be working.

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

This story is so insane, I think there is more to the story then what they are saying. I feel sorry for these kids.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

The boy got sick during the interview on GMA this morning too. As soon as he was asked about his comment on the Larry King show, he suddenly got sick. He got up from the interview to go to the bathroom.
You can watch the interview here: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA

Thanks for posting that. I can't imagine a mother not jumping up when her child is sick and going off to vomit! Especially the day after supposedly believing the day before that she might lose him (yeah, sure) as he floated off in a balloon. And that father...world's worst actor.

I think that boy is a nervous wreck over having to keep his story straight as they make the news show rounds. I can just imagine what might have transpired after last night's Larry King show.

Maybe the police are saying that they don't suspect a hoax so that the family will feel comfortable enough to continue talking to people & possibly incriminate themselves? If so, it seems to be working.

I think so too. Plus, law enforcement doesn't usually go sounding off about speculations before an investigation.

Hoax hoax hoax, all the way.

 

[Embel]

Maybe it wasn't even a planned hoax? I just saw the footage of the Dad kicking the ground after the balloon takes off. He was mad! The Dad called a local news channel & asked them to send their helicopter to track it. Maybe they made up the story about Falcon being in it on the spur of the moment just to get the TV station to track the balloon for them.

It's not a less despicable scenario, just different. I had originally assumed this was planned for TV exposure, but after seeing the Dad's tantrum at lift off, I'm not so sure.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Maybe it wasn't even a planned hoax? I just saw the footage of the Dad kicking the ground after the balloon takes off. He was mad! The Dad called a local news channel & asked them to send their helicopter to track it. Maybe they made up the story about Falcon being in it on the spur of the moment just to get the TV station to track the balloon for them.

It's not a less despicable scenario, just different. I had originally assumed this was planned for TV exposure, but after seeing the Dad's tantrum at lift off, I'm not so sure.

First...the father looks like a raving lunatic kicking things and ranting and raving. Maybe because I'm thankfully married to a laid back reasonable responsible man.

I didn't think that the footage of the balloon ALMOST taking off was the beginning of yesterday's fiasco. I thought they stopped it from taking off then, and that it was later...without the parents there...that it allegedly took off with the kid in it.

Not going to bother to re-watch it.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

And now that I think about it...I wonder if that footage was part of the hoax...setting up the scenario showing how it ALMOST took off then with the adults there, so we could see how it could all happen with the kids there.