Quote :

"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. 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. LIVE VIDEO: AirTracker 7 Looks For Floating Boy"

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/21306839/detail.html

[Edited on October 15, 2009 at 2:46 PM. Reason : a]

10/15/2009 2:46:00 PM

2000 feet AGL

10/15/2009 2:47:00 PM

This is fucking awesome. I'm watching this shit until the end. WTF?!?

10/15/2009 2:48:09 PM

cnn.com has the live feed. this kids is done

10/15/2009 2:48:09 PM

durrrhhh

10/15/2009 2:48:11 PM

Sounds like a job for Denver Colorado

10/15/2009 2:48:45 PM

hahaha just started a pool here

50 he dies, 100 he makes it

10/15/2009 2:49:58 PM

too fucking cool

10/15/2009 2:51:04 PM

too fucking cool?

if the kid dies the dad should be put up on manslaughter

and have to pay for the rescue effort

and the mass confusion that'll be caused if they ahve to start rerouting air traffic

10/15/2009 2:51:51 PM

Darwin awards.

10/15/2009 2:51:52 PM

Wow, that is scary shit. I really hope they can get him out of it somehow without it crashing.

10/15/2009 2:51:59 PM

how cold is it at the altitude?

10/15/2009 2:52:05 PM

cnn is showing it on a slight delay incase the kid falls out LOL



pwnt. stay home.

10/15/2009 2:52:06 PM

i have so many questions about this

10/15/2009 2:52:30 PM

so there is a camera aboard?

10/15/2009 2:52:52 PM

*banjo music blaring

Fly on...fly on!

10/15/2009 2:52:55 PM

It's in HD on Fox News by the way... fuck some CNN SD shit.

10/15/2009 2:52:58 PM

^^^^^^ It can get cold. The air is also getting quite thin at 10,000ft. It's not easy for someone used to living at low altitudes to function at that altitude for long time periods without oxygen.

10/15/2009 2:53:12 PM

Couldn't they get a helicopter up there to grab onto it, then punch some holes in there?

10/15/2009 2:53:15 PM

nah, covering from the ground. looks like the camera crew lost the balloon though. they are scanning back and forth for it.

if you arent watching, this balloon was packing speed.

10/15/2009 2:53:35 PM

omg. at first i thought this was funny story about a kid who built his own balloon, launched it on purpose, and was going to be a national hero when it's all done.

because i wanted to do that when i was a kid. (still do, some days)



but then i realized he's 6 years old, and that his dad built it, and and it was an accident.

what a horrible thing. that kid is terrified and traumatized beyond belief, and his dad has been shitting his pants non stop.

i cant even comprehend how horrible this is. the kid could easily die from exposure and freezing temps.

10/15/2009 2:53:57 PM

i don't see the ballooon

yea that thing was flying

10/15/2009 2:54:13 PM

i think cnn lost him

10/15/2009 2:54:24 PM

they found it again

10/15/2009 2:54:42 PM

i heard the kid may be mentally challenged.

[Edited on October 15, 2009 at 2:55 PM. Reason : s]

10/15/2009 2:54:56 PM

They should have a parachuter bring him down

Like in that Christian Bale movie where they took down the dragons

10/15/2009 2:55:17 PM

Faces

Of

Death

What a way to get trim later in life
"at 6 I flew a hot air balloon at 10000 feet over Denver. Buy me a drink."

[Edited on October 15, 2009 at 2:58 PM. Reason : lols]

10/15/2009 2:55:51 PM

Quote :

"It can get cold. The air is also getting quite thin at 10,000ft. It's not easy for someone used to living at low altitudes to function at that altitude for long time periods without oxygen. "

...nah son...nah....that aint THAT high

so is he 10000 ft above sea level...he just needs to run into one of those 14ers..they have a few out there

10/15/2009 2:56:16 PM

I feel physically sick. i can't bear to even think about this.

10/15/2009 2:56:28 PM

aside from a helicopter possibly creating enough disruption in the air to cause it to go down, helicopters only operate below certain altitudes. Same reason they can't be used for search operations on mt. everest (dont know what altitude that is though)


Ok so a few clicks through google would tell me that they at least to 19,000ft but either way, helicopter seems no good



[Edited on October 15, 2009 at 2:59 PM. Reason : YAY math]

10/15/2009 2:56:45 PM

Quote :

"i heard the kid may be mentally challenged. "

LOL...SHUT UP..NO WAY


^WAAAY HIGHER

[Edited on October 15, 2009 at 2:57 PM. Reason : D]

10/15/2009 2:57:02 PM

10/15/2009 2:57:06 PM

^^^ You're talking nearly 30,000 ft at the summit. Big difference.

Seriously though, 10k feet is around where you want to start thinking about using some oxygen if you're going to be there for prolonged time periods.

10/15/2009 2:57:30 PM

cnn's camera is having seizures

10/15/2009 2:57:30 PM

Quote :

"The air is also getting quite thin at 10,000ft. It's not easy for someone used to living at low altitudes to function at that altitude for long time periods without oxygen. "

Are we talking 10,000 ft above sea level or 10,000 ft off the ground? 10,000 ft above sea level is no big deal for most people, especially if you're not doing anything physical.

Either way I think the temperature is more of a problem for this kid.

Quote :

"aside from a helicopter possibly creating enough disruption in the air to cause it to go down, helicopters only operate below certain altitudes. Same reason they can't be used for search operations on mt. everest (dont know what altitude that is though)"

seriously, you don't even have the slightest clue how tall Everest is? :facepalm:

[Edited on October 15, 2009 at 2:59 PM. Reason : k]

10/15/2009 2:57:55 PM

Quote :

"so is he 10000 ft above sea level...he just needs to run into one of those 14ers..they have a few out there :BEATUP:"

10/15/2009 2:58:23 PM

i just don't get it - it must have not been secured on the ground very well. you'd think that is something the parents would want to double check.

10/15/2009 2:58:41 PM

I'm talking ASL, AGL is somewhat meaningless for such a discussion.

Again, that's why I said "if you're not used to it". If you're used to living at high altitudes, it's no big deal. But I don't know where you heard that living at 10k feet ASL is just like sea level.

10/15/2009 2:58:53 PM

then my statement stands...find a 14er and crash n rock, man

10/15/2009 2:59:41 PM

The best chance of recovery is to send up several hot air balloons in the path of this flying saucer in hopes of latching onto it long enough to bring it down safely tethered to one hot air balloon. Only another device of similar capabilities can safely maneuver side-by-side without doing more harm than good.

10/15/2009 3:00:16 PM

the radio show that i was listening to when i made this thread said they were having a party or something and he climbed in by himself and cut the ropes holding it down. So it's his own fault.



^as quick as that thing is moving i think you'd be endangering the lives of those trying to rescue.

[Edited on October 15, 2009 at 3:01 PM. Reason : add]

10/15/2009 3:00:24 PM

Quote :

"10k feet is around where you want to start thinking about using some oxygen if you're going to be there for prolonged time periods. "

as long as you dont over exert yourself...youll be fine

[Edited on October 15, 2009 at 3:01 PM. Reason : he just needs to stay warm]

10/15/2009 3:00:43 PM

Fort Collins has an elevation of 5003 feet above sea level. So he's at 15,003 feet if it gets that high.

10/15/2009 3:01:31 PM

I'm sure they kid has hyperventilated himself and is going nuts...

** Why on earth would anyone use above ground level. I've never even heard that used as altitude.

[Edited on October 15, 2009 at 3:02 PM. Reason : x]

10/15/2009 3:01:36 PM

Quote :

"the radio show that i was listening to when i made this thread said they were having a party or something and he climbed in by himself and cut the ropes holding it down. So it's his own fault. "

um he is 6. and you said he might be mentally challenged?

might need to rethink the fault thing.

10/15/2009 3:01:37 PM

looks like he is hauling ass

10/15/2009 3:02:51 PM

Quote :

"^as quick as that thing is moving i think you'd be endangering the lives of those trying to rescue."

That's why they would wear parachutes as well.

10/15/2009 3:03:01 PM

if I was him I'd inhale some of that gas and talk like a chipmunk to my rescuers

10/15/2009 3:03:05 PM

Who has a party in the middle of the day on a Thursday?

10/15/2009 3:03:27 PM

the camera looks like its on the balloon, am i alone here?

10/15/2009 3:03:27 PM