PLEASE GET THIS BOY DOWN!
FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- A 6-year-old boy is floating over northeastern Colorado in a homebuilt balloon and authorities are racing to try and rescue him.
The balloon, in the shape of a flying saucer is covered in foil and filled with helium. It has a compartment for a passenger underneath. It lifted the boy into the air near Fort Collins Thursday morning after the balloon became untethered at the boy's home.
The father and son had apparently been working on the aircraft for some time.
Fort Collins police and other authorities have been alerted and Airtracker 7 has launched in an effort to locate the boy.
Airtracker 7 located the craft at 12:35 p.m. at about 8,000 feet in Weld County. It appeared to be slightly tilted. The altitude of the balloon was fluctuating between 7,500 and 8,500 feet.
Skies in the area are partly cloudy and southwest wind speeds are 15 to 20 miles per hour.
"It is believed the device could rise to 10,000 feet," said Eloise Campanella, Larimer County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman.
"The structure at the bottom of the balloon that the boy is in is made of extremely thin plywood and won't withstand any kind of a crash at all," said Erik Nilsson, Larimer County Emergency Manager.
Deputies from Larimer and Weld counties are tracking the balloon as it drifts.
FAA spokesman Mike Fergus said the agency has been notified and it was unclear whether traffic controllers had picked it up on radar.
The balloon may drift into air traffic control corridors used by Denver International Airport, based on its current location and direction.
I'm watching this on TV rn and I'm seriously horrified D:
ETA: WAIT, WHY THE HELL WASN'T THIS KID IN SCHOOL? O_O NVM apparently the schiool in that county had the day off today? Whyyy?
ETA 2: HE IS NOT INSIDE THE BALLOON.
ETA 3: Yep, the family was on wife swap and are being described as unusual and a family of mad scientists. Ooer.
ETA 4: The family. Apparently the boy with his eyes closed is Falcon.
ETA 5: Police are now searching for the box on bottom of the balloon. This isn't looking good, guys.
ETA 6: Deputy claims that he saw an object fall from the balloon :(
ETA 7: HE IS ALIVE IN THE FUCKING HOUSE. WHAT THE FUCK!?
GLAD THE KID IS OKAY BUT BE READY TO GET YOUR ASSES FINED, FAMILY, IF THE COUNTY/STATE CHARGES YOU FOR ANY EXPENSES.
ETA: Lolz, good times, guys. Ups and downs. NO PUN INTENDED. But yeah, now I can't help but laughing at the fact that we spent hours basically following a helium balloon around Colorado.
NEVAR FORGET!
The balloon, in the shape of a flying saucer is covered in foil and filled with helium. It has a compartment for a passenger underneath. It lifted the boy into the air near Fort Collins Thursday morning after the balloon became untethered at the boy's home.
The father and son had apparently been working on the aircraft for some time.
Fort Collins police and other authorities have been alerted and Airtracker 7 has launched in an effort to locate the boy.
Airtracker 7 located the craft at 12:35 p.m. at about 8,000 feet in Weld County. It appeared to be slightly tilted. The altitude of the balloon was fluctuating between 7,500 and 8,500 feet.
Skies in the area are partly cloudy and southwest wind speeds are 15 to 20 miles per hour.
"It is believed the device could rise to 10,000 feet," said Eloise Campanella, Larimer County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman.
"The structure at the bottom of the balloon that the boy is in is made of extremely thin plywood and won't withstand any kind of a crash at all," said Erik Nilsson, Larimer County Emergency Manager.
Deputies from Larimer and Weld counties are tracking the balloon as it drifts.
FAA spokesman Mike Fergus said the agency has been notified and it was unclear whether traffic controllers had picked it up on radar.
The balloon may drift into air traffic control corridors used by Denver International Airport, based on its current location and direction.
I'm watching this on TV rn and I'm seriously horrified D:
ETA: WAIT, WHY THE HELL WASN'T THIS KID IN SCHOOL? O_O NVM apparently the schiool in that county had the day off today? Whyyy?
ETA 2: HE IS NOT INSIDE THE BALLOON.
ETA 3: Yep, the family was on wife swap and are being described as unusual and a family of mad scientists. Ooer.
ETA 4: The family. Apparently the boy with his eyes closed is Falcon.
ETA 5: Police are now searching for the box on bottom of the balloon. This isn't looking good, guys.
ETA 6: Deputy claims that he saw an object fall from the balloon :(
ETA 7: HE IS ALIVE IN THE FUCKING HOUSE. WHAT THE FUCK!?
GLAD THE KID IS OKAY BUT BE READY TO GET YOUR ASSES FINED, FAMILY, IF THE COUNTY/STATE CHARGES YOU FOR ANY EXPENSES.
ETA: Lolz, good times, guys. Ups and downs. NO PUN INTENDED. But yeah, now I can't help but laughing at the fact that we spent hours basically following a helium balloon around Colorado.
NEVAR FORGET!