'Balloon boy' Falcon Heene finally reveals how he remembers parents' hoax that shocked America in new Netflix documentary

Daily Mail​

19-06-2025

The child who was at the center of the 'balloon boy' hoax that gripped America nearly 16 years ago has now revealed how he relished in the chaos during the ordeal.
Falcon Heene, now 22, was just six years old when he captivated the nation after his weatherman father, Richard, set off a weather balloon and then claimed it was carrying his son.
For two difficult hours on October 15, 2009, the silver helium balloon, resembling a flying saucer, drifted to heights of up to 7,000 feet across the skies of Colorado.
Falcon's parents claimed that the boy sneaked into the balloon and a frantic search began that grounded planes and involved the National Guard. However, Falcon was found hiding in the attic at the family's Fort Collins home.
Richard and his wife, Mayumi, were later sentenced to prison for what was declared a hoax.
Nearly 16 years later, the Heene family is speaking out in a new Netflix documentary called 'Trainwreck: Balloon Boy' that airs on July 15.
In the new trailer, Falcon confessed that thinks it's 'crazy' how much chaos he stirred.
'I think it was crazy how I was six years old and I was able to affect the whole state of the country,' he said.
The Heene parents defended their actions in the trailer with Mayumi crying, 'You don't get it!'
'All I wanted to do was make a really fantastic project for the kids,' Richard said. 'Everybody starts criticizing us. I'm like, "You've got to be s******g me!"'
At the time of the incident, the family had pitched for a science-based reality TV show, but it had been rejected.
Mayumi later told investigators that her husband wanted attention to secure the show, and a runaway balloon with a child inside could be just the thing to clinch a TV deal.
Richard and Mayumi eventually pleaded guilty to their crimes. Mayumi was charged with false reporting and Richard was charged with a felony count of attempting to influence a public servant.
Richard served 90 days in jail, and the family was ordered to pay $42,000 in restitution for the emergency rescue efforts. The judge also barred them from profiting off of the incident for four years.
The couple has maintained that the incident wasn't a hoax, and they pleaded guilty out of fear that Mayumi would be deported.
In 2020, Richard and Mayumi were finally forgiven for their crimes when Colorado Governor Jared Polis pardoned them.
'In the case of Richard and Mayumi Heene, the 'Balloon Boy' parents, we are all ready to move past the spectacle from a decade ago that wasted the precious time and resources of law enforcement officials and the general public,' Polis said in a statement.
'Richard and Mayumi have paid the price in the eyes of the public, served their sentences, and it's time for all of us to move on.'
The family has since moved to Florida, and a now grown-up Falcon has shared on his Instagram that he builds tiny homes for a living.
Falcon owns Craftsman Tiny Homes, a family-run business in Archer, Florida, constructing several different models available for purchase. The tiny homes range from $25,000 to $79,000.
He shared a video documenting the process of building a tiny home from start to finish.