Posted on 10/15/2009 11:45:55 AM PDT by Arec Barrwin
Rescuers are tracking and chasing a "homemade flying saucer" that is in flight with a 6-year-old, by himself, on board.
The incident started this morning in Fort Collins when the boy got into the balloon-like device, which was built by an adult, and it came loose from a tether, according to the Larimer County Sheriff's Office.
The contraption could rise as high as 10,000 feet, the sheriff's office said.
The home-made flying saucer was last seen in flight over Weld County.
The sheriff's office is working the Federal Aviation Administration to determine how to best get the boy down.
The homemade airplane was tethered in Fort Collins when the boy got onboard and it floated away. (Lisa Ecklund via 9News)
The six-year-old boy was by himself on board the hommade aircraft. (Courtesy Lisa Ecklund, via 9News)
The craft could fly as high as 10,000 feet, according to the Weld County Sheriff's Office. (Lisa Ecklund via 9News)
Power lines will do him in if he hits them.
Did shep Smith really say that? What a prick.
I don’t think the boy is on that saucer, I see no way he could have gotten into that box thing. It looks sealed even tho Hannity just said there’s an access door.
Yep, no way is that 6,000 feet above the ground. Also, that video of the vehicles on that dirt road reveals that the ground air speed is probably about five mph.
The dust was rising at a slow pace drifting softly into the distance. At ever ten to twenty miles per hour, the dust would be disbursed quickly.
Kid will be down in thirty minutes to an hour IMO. He’s probably not going to drift all that far away from where he is right now.
Choppers have been shown in the distance
A chronological update thus far ...
They’re clearing air space over Denver International now. The balloon is at 2K ft.
The weather is about 70 degrees in Denver today so they’re not as concerned about the temperature. There are conflicting reports about whether the balloon is made of mylar or charged foil. They are unable to communicate with the boy inside at this point.
Area news stations are tracking the balloon with helicopters but they are afraid to get to close to him because the helicopter may disrupt the air currents. The FAA is working with skydivers to develop a plan.
The balloon is travelling at 25 mph and has reached 6000 ft.
They believe the balloon has extended to its maximum height and will not go any higher. There are conflicting reports that it is at 2K or 6K feet.
Balloon is 20 ft long and 5 ft high. It contains a plywood structure at the base where the child is sitting. The balloon is about an hour and a half NE of Denver.
It is a helium balloon. Helium will leak slowly, but they don’t know how long it will take to come down on its own.
They believe the balloon is at 8K ft. The plywood base on which the boy is sitting is very thin and not designed to withstand impact. The balloon was not intended to fly.
The balloon is expected in metro area Denver within the hour. They’re beginning to worry about buildings, trees, hire wires, and freeways should the balloon begin to descend. They cannot put a helicopter over the balloon because the wind would suck the balloon up into the blades. (OMG)
They do not believe the balloon is deflating. The helium is contracting and expanding as the balloon encounters colder pockets of air. It has descended to approximately 6K ft.
...yup...
Such is the case today with Shepard Smith leading on Fox and Rick Sanchez herding it along on CNN.
If only those two could be put onto that runaway balloon in place of that poor little boy!
You bet it will be a rough landing, but the kid will at least have some “air bag” around him.
KOLO-TV in Reno says they have received reports that the thing has descended to about 800 feet.
Lord, Holy God and Father, please let this balloon come down easily and gently in an area close to highways or streets so he can be tended to immediately!
Father we thank You for Your mercy to us.
6k MSL would be 1k above ground level.
On Fox it looks like just a few hundred feet above the ground and a military helecoptere just showed up (Blackhawk, I think)
6K would be about 700 feet above the ground here.
I have been to 15,000 feet in Chile. There is plenty of air.
He also has an advantage of living at 6,000 feet so he can overcome a further rise.
At 10,000 feet it is definetely cold. Should be fine in there for a few hours.
I am worried about velocity and gravity.
Coming down quick....
Idiot on Fox News says it’s at 8,000 feet and there’s a wind chill. Stupid fools. That’s above sea level, not ground level, and there can be no wind chill — it is moving with the wind!!!
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