The "Balloon Boy Incident" occurred on October 15, 2009, when a six-year-old boy named Falcon Heene was reported to have floated away in a homemade helium balloon. His family, living in Fort Collins, Colorado, claimed he had climbed into the balloon, which then became airborne. This led to a massive search and rescue operation involving law enforcement and media coverage. Later, it was revealed that Falcon Heene had not been in the balloon at all; he was hiding in his family's attic. The incident raised questions about media ethics and parental responsibility, resulting in legal consequences for the Heene family.