Update: Six-Year-Old Boy Thought Trapped in Balloon Now Missing
Credit: ABC.com
After initial reports that Falcon Heene was trapped inside a homemade aircraft flying near Fort Collins, Colorado, the six-year-old is now missing.
The Heene family -- which appeared in the 100th episode of ABC's Wife Swap -- was constructing an experimental 20-foot helium balloon attached to their home earlier today, and it was initially believed that young Falcon boarded the "flying saucer," which is capable of ascending to about 10,000 feet.
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After accidentally taking off, the aircraft landed about 40 miles from where it took off two hours later.
The Heene family -- which includes two other young boys -- is described on Wife Swap's website as "storm-chasing" and "science-obsessed" and has constructed earlier "experimental aircrafts."
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"When the Heene family aren't chasing storms," the site continues, "they devote 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."
A rep for ABC tells Usmagazine.com, "We are not issuing a statement, but we can confirm that the boy believed to be involved in the flight is Falcon and the family did appear on Wife Swap."
Late this afternoon, police were conducting a ground search for Falcon.
Tell Us What You Think
10UMM THIS ARTICLE IS NOT VERY DESCRIPTIVE BUT wtf kind of family lets a little kid take off in what sounds like an important scientific tool...? I think the parents need to be more PARENTS and not pay more attention to science than their own kids..
He was never in the balloon--he was in the garage hiding the entire time. Get your story straight, US.
The other mom from wife swap is dying to say "I told you so".
I remember them on Wife Swap and that mom said the other family was overprotective and should let the kids run free. She's eating her words now.
There Dad is a serious nut job! Watch the Wife Swap episode!
I remember seeing this show, and frankly I couldn't believe thnis woman and her husband, and thought CPS should look into it. They were not ordinary!
Omg that poor little boy! Please God save him. Thy will be done.
I could only imagine what the safety fam is saying about this! The other fam in Wife Swap.
WOW!!!
Hope he's all right but if my parents spent their time "looking for extraterrestrials" I'd probably try to fly away too