US balloon boy's father denies hoax

The father of a boy feared to have been carried away in a balloon has angrily denied the drama which gripped millions was a publicity stunt. Six-year-old Falcon Heene was found safe at home in Colorado hiding in an attic after the balloon came to earth empty following a helicopter chase that was televised live. His older brother had apparently told his parents that Falcon had climbed into a compartment on the weather balloon before it was mysteriously released from their garden. The Heene family is no stranger to publicity, appearing on the ABC show Wife Swap and the boys featuring in a rap music video on YouTube. And Falcon appeared to suggest he had been told what to do when he and his father Richard were interviewed on a US show after the incident. When asked by his father why he had not emerged from hiding when his name was being called out at home Falcon said: "You had said that we did this for a show." Mr Heene bristled when the family was asked to clarify and said he did not know what his son meant. "I'm kind of appalled after all the feelings that I went through, up and down, that you guys are trying to suggest something else," he said. Earlier when asked if the balloon chase was a publicity stunt he replied: "That's horrible. After the cr*p we just went through. No. No, no, no." Later it emerged Falcon was sick twice on national television when he and his father were asked during separate TV interviews what he meant about his comment that "we did this for a show". During an ABC interview, Falcon said: "Mom, I feel like I'm going to vomit." He then left the room with his mother and could be heard gagging. And during a live interview on NBC shown simultaneously on Friday, Falcon threw up into a container when his father was answering the same question. Local Sheriff Jim Alderden said authorities did not believe at this point it was a hoax but he would meet investigators to decide whether to look into the matter further.