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JNB
Big Wall climber
Northridge
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 15, 2009 - 02:57pm PT
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FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- A 6-year-old boy is floating over northeastern Colorado in a homebuilt balloon and authorities are racing to try and rescue him.
The balloon, in the shape of a flying saucer is covered in foil and filled with helium. It has a compartment for a passenger underneath. It lifted the boy into the air near Fort Collins Thursday morning after the balloon became untethered at the boy's home.
The father and son had apparently been working on the aircraft for some time.
Fort Collins police and other authorities have been alerted and Airtracker 7 has launched in an effort to locate the boy.
Airtracker 7 located the craft at 12:35 p.m. at about 8,000 feet in Weld County. It appeared to be slightly tilted.
Skies in the area are partly cloudy and southwest wind speeds are 15 to 20 miles per hour.
"It is believed the device could rise to 10,000 feet," said Eloise Campanella, Larimer County Sheriff's Officer spokeswoman.
"The structure at the bottom of the balloon that the boy is in is made of extremely thin plywood and won't withstand any kind of a crash at all," said Erik Nilsson, Larimer County Emergency Manager.
Deputies from Larimer and Weld counties are tracking the balloon as it drifts.
FAA spokesman Mike Fergus said the agency has been notified and it was unclear whether traffic controllers had picked it up on radar.
The balloon may drift into air traffic control corridors used by Denver International Airport, based on its current location and direction.
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Gunkie
Trad climber
East Coast US
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Oct 15, 2009 - 02:58pm PT
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Watching this right now [CNN]. It's gut wrenching.
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OR
Trad climber
So.VT.
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Oct 15, 2009 - 03:05pm PT
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Holy Sh-t....that is horrible
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pc
climber
East of Seattle
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Oct 15, 2009 - 03:08pm PT
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Unbelievable! Frickin' scary. Good luck little guy.
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Norton
Social climber
the Wastelands
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Oct 15, 2009 - 03:10pm PT
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sounds like the father was making the balloon so HE could go up
I will never forget, in the seventies, the guy from Los Angeles who made
his own out of helium balloons and a lawn chair.
He shot up to some 10,000 feet in his lawn chair, astonishing incoming
jets on approach to LAX. He came down by shooing out the balloons with a
pellet gun he brought with me. He was damn cool, and brave!
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JNB
Big Wall climber
Northridge
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 15, 2009 - 03:12pm PT
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The guy in the Los Angeles Balloon put a gun in his mouth a few years later.
Juan
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JNB
Big Wall climber
Northridge
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 15, 2009 - 03:14pm PT
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Looks like they plan to snag the balloon with a helicopter. Its drifting towards the Flatirons.
Juan
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Oct 15, 2009 - 03:15pm PT
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Yikes, the poor kid!
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JNB
Big Wall climber
Northridge
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 15, 2009 - 03:16pm PT
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Seems to me the could shoot a hole in the balloon?
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JNB
Big Wall climber
Northridge
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 15, 2009 - 03:17pm PT
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If he lives he will be famous!
Very poor Yaw control.
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JNB
Big Wall climber
Northridge
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 15, 2009 - 03:22pm PT
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Ballon is venting
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JNB
Big Wall climber
Northridge
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 15, 2009 - 03:23pm PT
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Lossing Altitude
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Gunkie
Trad climber
East Coast US
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Oct 15, 2009 - 03:27pm PT
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That thing is listing badly. I hope it doesn't become unstable and invert, possibly dumping the kid out or causing the helium to vent in an uncontrolled manner.
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Jingy
Social climber
Flatland, Ca
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Oct 15, 2009 - 03:35pm PT
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key ingredient here?
Father son have been building this rig for a while....
Didn't give much thought to the actual lift of the contraption, but then again, you live and you learn... too bad it may end up costing that guys offspring his life!!!
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philo
Trad climber
boulder, co.
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Oct 15, 2009 - 03:37pm PT
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It looks like a limp UFO. That thing has lost a third of it's gas. It is listing dangerously and dropping quickly.
A very soft landing in a farmer's field.
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ShibbyShane
Trad climber
Sacramento, Ca
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Oct 15, 2009 - 03:39pm PT
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Wow, crazy. It's coming down!
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rockermike
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Oct 15, 2009 - 03:39pm PT
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he's getting lower, good news, but he sure is moving fast. I wish we could get this over with. We'll find out if a million prayers from viewers world wide can sway God's willful outcome.
yea; ;he's down
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JNB
Big Wall climber
Northridge
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 15, 2009 - 03:39pm PT
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Pray. Pray. Pray
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Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, Ca
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Oct 15, 2009 - 03:39pm PT
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Landing!!!!!!!!!!1111
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