A bizarre hoax that captivated America in 2009 gets a fresh examination in "Trainwreck: Balloon Boy," premiering July 15.
The documentary revisits the day when Richard Heene called 911 claiming his six-year-old son Falcon was trapped inside a homemade flying saucer that had broken free from their Fort Collins, Colorado backyard. News helicopters tracked the silver, UFO-shaped balloon as it drifted across the Colorado sky, while first responders, the National Guard, and Homeland Security scrambled to mount a rescue operation.
The nation watched in real-time as the drama unfolded, only to discover the balloon was empty when it finally landed. The boy was later found hiding in the family's attic, and what seemed like a parent's worst nightmare transformed into a criminal investigation. The Heenes eventually admitted to orchestrating the incident as a publicity stunt.
Director Gillian Pachter, known for her work on true crime documentaries, said "The Balloon Boy incident perfectly captures a moment when social media, traditional news coverage, and the hunger for fame collided in spectacular fashion."
Previously:
• Halloween office art: Balloon Boy pumpkin
• Balloon Boy is in a metal band. Here's a song about his adventure
• The boy who survived an accidental hot air balloon flight in 1964
• Own a piece of the Balloon Boy saucer
• Racist driving book written by Balloon Boy dad
• Inside American Apparel's toxic workplace culture: Netflix trailer
