FORT COLLINS, Colorado — In a frantic 911 call this morning, Richard Heene reported that his six-year-old son, widely known as “Balloon Boy,” has been abducted by aliens.
Richard Heene and "Balloon Boy" in happier times
“I’m not kidding around this time, he’s really gone,” said an apparently distraught Heene. “But don’t take my word for it. Go ahead and look in the attic, the basement, search the whole house. He’s really gone this time! They took him!”
The Heenes grabbed the nation’s attention last week when they reported that an experimental helium balloon shaped like a container of Jiffy Pop was set adrift with their six-year-old son apparently riding in it.
I'll be down in a few minutes
That story proved to be a hoax designed to drum up publicity for a reality TV show featuring the Heenes along with Jon and Kate Gosselin, tentatively titled Using the Children for Publicity.
Heene reported that the family was awakened in the middle of the night by strange noises and intensely bright lights outside. When he went to check on the children, his six-year-old son, Falcon, was not in his bedroom, and all of his toys had been turned on and were careening around the room.
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Heene said that when he went downstairs to check for Falcon, he saw him exit the house through the dog door, presumably into the hands of alien abductors.
Heene also reportedly contacted NASA to inquire about the possibility of borrowing a space shuttle.
“He’s probably still in Earth orbit,” said Heene, “If we act quickly, maybe we can recover Falcon before he leaves the solar system.”
