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Commentators on CNN predict it's going 40 miles per hour at 10,000 feet elevation. There is also speculation that the boy (his name is Falcon Heen) may have fallen out, according to a sibling who said the balloon's door was left open as it took off. Craig Kennedy, a hot air balloon expert, agrees, hypothesizing that if the boy was actually on board, it wouldn't be flying so topsy-turvy like.
The experimental mylar flying saucer balloon reportedly is homemade and was in the family's Fort Collins backyard. The balloon and the boy (if he's on board) is currently is about 25 miles northwest of the Denver International Airport. Officials are trying to figure out how to bring the balloon down safely.
Updates
-12:35 p.m., PST: It landed softly, officials are checking the balloon now.
-12:38 p.m., PST: They are popping the balloon, but haven't checked inside yet.
-12:40 p.m., PST: Balloon deflated, no sign of Falcon so far.
-12:41 p.m., PST: No one is found in the balloon, this could be good or bad. Where is Falcon?
-12:47 p.m., PST: The family appeared on the reality show, Wife Swap. The dad is described as a "weather chaser" and former meteorologist
-1:01 p.m., PST: The family is described as one that lives on the edge.
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Where is Falcon?!?!
Better yet... Where were Falcon's parents?
This never should have happened
I haven't heard, although since the balloon was in the family's yard, it's possible that at least one of them was close by.
Hmm...that reply should have gone with comment #2.
Did anyone see this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBWJXXgaYBo These are the boys, rapping.
Falcon Heene: 2009 Official Hide & Seek Champion.
And now it has! Weird display system.
At any rate, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that there are better ways to keep kids out of balloons and keep balloons from floating away--but so far I haven't seen anything that suggests that the parents were inattentive in a larger way.
Hopefully Falcon will be found soon, and is unharmed.
From the newscast I saw, there were multiple tethers. Barring a colossal failure on the part of said tethers, the kids were likely left unattended far too long with the balloon.
Apparently they were left alone long enough to release the balloon, multiple tethers not withstanding. So there are some issues dealing with balloon security, but not so much with child safety. I don't know, I think there are some particular issues in this case because of the balloon, but I'm having a hard time getting upset over the general principle of expecting children to be safe in their own yard.
It's a shame so many people's time, efforts, and resources were spent searching throughout the region when Falcon was in the attic. The question I have now is this: did the brother think Falcon had climbed in? or did he think they would get into more trouble if the balloon had simply been released?
Dunno. If the parents had an unsecured (or poorly secured) pool and the kid drowned, I would consider children to be unsafe in that yard. Ditto with a potentially dangerous weather balloon.
FYI, there are 3 E's in the boy's/family's last name.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33330516/ns/us_news-life/
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/15/colorado.boy.balloon/index.html
In case no one noticed, Falcon was found hiding in the attic.
In meantime, the father's "evidence" of life on mars, their wifeswap page, and the kids' rap song "pussified" got millions of hits.