On 15 October 2009, police got a call that Falcon had climbed into his father's homemade weather balloon, which was now airborne. The drama played out on live television before millions of viewers worldwide. When the balloon landed, and Falcon was not inside, officials thought that he had fallen out, and began to search for what they assumed would be his body. He was found 5 hours later hiding in the attic of his home. On 23 December 2009, Richard Heene was sentenced to 90 days in jail, and Mayumi Heene was sentenced to 20 days of community service; both were fined $42,000. The couple has also been barred from profiting from the hoax.
