The "Balloon Boy" hoax happened on October 15, 2009, when a homemade helium-filled gas balloon shaped to look like a silver flying saucer was released into the air above Fort Collins, Colorado, by Richard and Mayumi Heene. They then said that their six-year-old son Falcon was trapped inside it. Authorities confirmed the balloon reached during its 90-minute flight. Falcon was nicknamed "Balloon Boy" in the media.