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:eek: http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...39/detail.html
Ballon not intended to carry a person, no controls, no way to track, DIA is holding planes headed to north. Gusty and strong winds are predicted for this afternoon.
Family is sure he's inside.
Last update I read was that the brother said he'd seen the boy fall out. No one has located the body, so I assume they're really hoping he's still inside. Poor kid has got to be cold and scared. (if he's still in there)
This is an amazing story! Need to be on CNN for more details...
It just came down, no one inside! But where is the boy? I sure hope he's safe.
If he was in there...well, I don't know how you could breathe helium for 2 hours.
Why were they beating on it when it landed? That kid is hiding out somewhere.
The whole thing is too weird.
They were poking holes in it to let the helium out so it wouldn't take off again. Apparently it was losing helium that's why it came down.
Family didn't design or intend for it to fly.
Search teams are being organized to look for him.
They just said there is a certain spot where the box came disattached from the balloon. That's where they thought he might have been.
Lots of farm land out there.
That family is weird. I really hope the boy is okay somewhere, but I smell a fish.
Karen
Yeah, but beating on it? why not just poke a hole?Quote:
Originally Posted by Kathi
Viewers must have questioned that too because they came on the news and said they weren't beating but poking holes in it. Close-ups show them punching holes with shovels.
Apparently this guy, and his family, was an experienced "storm chaser", avid weather fanatics, loved science and this was a family project. They've been interviewed by local TV stations.
Now they're saying there was no "other box" but there is damage to the bottom of the base.
When I first heard it, I thought of an old Bloom County story line where Opus, Milo, and Cutter John attached balloons to John's wheelchair for a cross-country trip. Never thought somebody would actually try it, and a 6-year-old is way to young to be a Bloom County fan...
He's been found safe. He's home. No explanation yet.
Actually Bloom County took the idea from a real life event. And this guy was definitely not the last one to try it.Quote:
Originally Posted by PscyclePath
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Walters
Here's a more recent version
http://www.foxnews.com/images/299465...ying_chair.jpg
How bizarre.
I wonder how much this whole episode cost, in terms of diverted/delayed flights, the search effort, etc.
Anybody wanna take this bet?
He and his brother were playing, accidentally launched the thing, knew they were in trouble, he hid out and the brother didn't know wth to say.
Zen for the win!
Kid was hiding in a box in the attic.
Family was on "Wife Swap" TV show. What a lot of publicity for one family, eh?
Hah! What a great story. Brilliant guess.
Yeah, I think someone needs to question the older brother a bit more. He was the one who said he saw his little brother climb in the box and later said he saw him fall out (what, and the 1,000,000 people watching it on t.v. missed that?). Seems to me he knew the whole time that little brother wasn't in there.
Sarah
Someone needs to question the deputies who searched the house the first time. :rolleyes:
Apparently, the family was interviewed last night on the Larry King Live show. The boy was asked if he heard his family calling him when he was hiding. He said, "Yes." The dad said, "You did?!" The mom said, "You did?!" When he was asked why he didn't come out, he said, "Because you said...it...was for a show."
There are so many questions that need to be answered.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pfunk12
I don't see any. (Other than, as I said, why the cops didn't find the kid the first time they searched the house.)
Kids pull stunts like that all the time. Didn't you ever hide from your parents? Lie to them? Didn't you ever once have a sibling or friend as an accomplice?
Sure, they should both be punished, but the expense of calling out the National Guard and all the news networks - and the fact that that might happen - is really beyond the scope of a child's understanding.
Oak - I think the question that everyone is asking is if the whole thing was a hoax. A publicity stunt for the father/parents/family. Based on what they are learning, the main question is - was this whole thing set up?
My mother once had the MP's out looking for me when I was asleep on the floor behind the sofa :o:p
Oh, Oak...forgot to respond to your questions. No. No and no. I was an angel. :D;):rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by OakLeaf
That is so sad--making your kid lie so that you can get publicity. People are sick.Quote:
Originally Posted by pfunk12
Okay.Quote:
Originally Posted by tulip
I wasn't going to jump into topical conversations.
But I don't buy that the parents coerced the kid into doing anything.
The family had been on reality shows (or show) in the past. They have this bizarro balloon. Maybe the balloon was for an upcoming event (i.e., show) of some kind. I don't doubt that 6 y.o's get confused about what a "show" is if you don't provide the context (um...balloon show, or t.v. show? Is an interview with a news reporter a "show"?).
Big bro' could have seen little bro playing near balloon. Ballon takes off. Little bro' not around. Big bro does the math -- 2 + 2 and comes up with 5.
The whole situation was a cluster**** but I don't think it was sinister.
But, maybe I'm just dumb.
Please believe me when I say I am not obsessed about this story. :D I didn't even know it was happening until I read about it on TE late yesterday! But based on what little I do know, it is very strange and fishy. I just read that as soon as the balloon went up in the air, the father called the local tv station to ask them to send their traffic helicopter in pursuit. Okay...if I thought that one of my girls was in our hot air balloon that is tethered in my backyard...;)..., I would dial 9-1-1 and the last thing I would be thinking is to call NBC4 to ask them to send their traffic helicopter after my balloon. It's just bizarre.
What puzzles me is that the story was that the big brother told them that he saw the kid get into the balloon and release the tether. Yet we now see video the family took, and in the video Dad is there and he releases the tether of the balloon. So if I'm the Dad and the brother says this - I'm saying, no I was the one that released the balloon, we have it on tape. That's what puzzles me about it. Plus, I'm a cynic at heart. :)
I just read on the news thing that pops up from yahoo... that the kid got sick on 2 different morning talk shows this morning - 1st when he was asked to explain the we did it for the show comment, he said he felt sick, ran off stage and vomited.
The 2nd on a different talk show when his father was asked to explain what that meant - kid vomited again.
I can see the we did it for a show just being because he's 6 & gets confused or they're on tv all the time... but in response to specific questions is a little wierd.
I'm just sayin'
there is the video where dad is seeing releasing the tether...
there is the fact that the kid has to come up to explain about the "show thing.."
there is the fact that the balloon was supposed to be part of their crack pot science experiment yet can't explain what the balloon is made out of aluminum/tin foil (really).
there is purported statement that the they've been trying to say that they have aliens on a video.
there is the fact that the dad... (multiple things about his character none of them good)
And lastly but not the least. It happens just when Mr. Obama was making a speech about the Katrina disaster on its anniversary and ALL THE NEWS FEED cutout Mr. Obama's speech (BTW they never went back) and aired this "breaking news A 6 yr old child has floated away in a home made helium balloon". Who put them up to doing this??
I'm just sayin' an extreme cynic
I feel sorry for the child.
The father is supposed to make a "Big announcement" this morning according to the local news.
Quote:
Originally Posted by smilingcat
+1
I agree
This is the latest. Jenn
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33340547/?GT1=43001
This gives a little insight into wacky dad.
The truly foul rap song he wrote for his kids to perform (while standing on railroad tracks, big NO NO!) and which he also posted to Youtube just adds to his fame-hound profile. This guy blindly sacrifices his kids for fame, he's done it more than once and I would bet he'll continue to do it.
He took down all his YouTube videos referenced in Zen's link. Hmmmm wonder why???
Karen