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Credit: ABC.com

Update: Six-Year-Old Boy Thought Trapped in Balloon Now Missing

Thursday – October 15, 2009 – 4:21pm

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.

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"At this point, we are thinking that he did not fall out of the balloon and is somewhere on the ground," a Larimer County spokeswoman told CNN. "I'm very confident we will find him. I think it's a matter of him being a little scared."

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  • October 17, 2009 - 8:17pm Anonymous Says:

    UMM 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..
  • October 16, 2009 - 2:54am Anonymous Says:

    He was never in the balloon--he was in the garage hiding the entire time. Get your story straight, US.
  • October 15, 2009 - 6:17pm Anonymous Says:

    The other mom from wife swap is dying to say "I told you so".
  • October 15, 2009 - 6:04pm Anonymous Says:

    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.
  • October 15, 2009 - 5:52pm Anonymous Says:

    There Dad is a serious nut job! Watch the Wife Swap episode!
  • October 15, 2009 - 5:47pm Anonymous Says:

    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!
  • October 15, 2009 - 5:27pm Anonymous Says:

    Omg that poor little boy! Please God save him. Thy will be done.
  • October 15, 2009 - 5:15pm Anonymous Says:

    I could only imagine what the safety fam is saying about this! The other fam in Wife Swap.
  • October 15, 2009 - 4:46pm Anonymous Says:

    WOW!!!
  • October 15, 2009 - 4:38pm Anonymous Says:

    Hope he's all right but if my parents spent their time "looking for extraterrestrials" I'd probably try to fly away too