Pamela Sitt,
Oct 15, 2009
The 6-year-old boy who led authorities on a wild goose chase today once appeared with his family on an episode of ABC's Wife Swap.
The Heene family of Fort Collins, Colo., is described on the show's Web site as "storm-chasing" and "science-obsessed" and were "building a research-gathering flying saucer to send into the eye of the storm." The family's 6-year-old son was thought to have climbed into the saucer-shaped aircraft from his back yard this morning, scaring the wits out of his parents and the general viewing public.
The balloon landed safely in a field after being chased by TV cameras and authorities for almost two hours. The boy, Falcon, was missing for another hour or so after that.
Richard Heene, the father, has been described as a "mad scientist" who has appeared on science-related shows. The family, including mom Mayumi and two other sons, appeared together on the 100th episode of Wife Swap, trading places with a performing arts-loving family from Florida.
