Boy said to have floated off in balloon found

  • P. SOLOMON BANDA and IVAN MORENO
    Associated Press Writers
  • Posted: Thursday, October 15, 2009 12:01 a.m.
    UPDATED: Thursday, March 22, 2012 6:42 p.m.
  • Text size: A A A
In this image rendered from video and released by KMGH-TV in Denver, a hot-air balloon is seen over Colorado, near Fort Collins. There were reports that a 6-year-old boy climbed into the hot-air balloon aircraft and floated away Thursday, forcing officia
/AP Photo/KMGH-TVIn this image rendered from video and released by KMGH-TV in Denver, a hot-air balloon is seen over Colorado, near Fort Collins. There were reports that a 6-year-old boy climbed into the hot-air balloon aircraft and floated away Thursday, forcing officia

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- A 6-year-old Colorado boy feared to have floated off in a helium balloon has been found safe at his home, hiding in a cardboard box in the garage attic.

Sheriff Jim Alderman turned to reporters during a news conference and held thumbs up and said, "He's at the house." Alderden said an investigator on the scene saw the boy and he was fine.

He said the boy apparently has been in the attic the whole time.

The boy's brother had said he saw 6-year-old Falcon Heene get in the balloon before it took off. The flight last two hours and spanned 50 miles and set off a frantic search.