Balloon drama wasn't a hoax: police

Oct 16 2009

There is no evidence the family involved in a dramatic hot-air balloon incident carried out a media hoax, police in the United States have said.

The Larimer County sheriff in Colorado said there was no indication the parents of Falcon Heene lied when they reported their six-year-old son was in a helium balloon which had floated away from their home.

The boy was found hiding in the home's garage on Thursday afternoon, hours after the balloon floated off and landed more than 50 miles away.

Sheriff Jim Alderden said the suggestion that the boy was "coached" into hiding seemed inconceivable.

He said the boy thought he was responsible for the balloon becoming untied and hid because he was afraid he would be in trouble.

Questions were raised about the incident after the boy said "we did this for a show" in a live interview with CNN.

The boys' parents are storm chasers who appeared in the ABC reality show Wife Swap, in which wives from two very different families trade places for two weeks.