Balloon Boy hoax

OCT 15 2009

On 15 October 2009 Richard and Mayumi Heene of Fort Collins, Colorado reported that their six-year-old son had floated away in a homemade helium balloon. News helicopters tracked the craft live, the National Guard scrambled, and Denver International Airport briefly halted flights; the boy was found hiding in the family's attic. Investigators concluded the Heenes staged the event to make themselves marketable for reality television. Richard pleaded guilty to a felony and was sentenced to 90 days' jail; Governor Jared Polis pardoned both parents on 23 December 2020.