Government Law
Parents' Bill for 'Balloon Boy' Stunt: $42K
Federal, state and local authorities have sent a $42,000 total rescue tab to the parents of a 6-year-old Colorado boy who was feared to be aloft, alone, thousands of feet in the air after accidentally setting sail in an experimental balloon, reports the Denver Post.
In fact, the so-called balloon boy was safe on the ground throughout the October incident, and his parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene, agreed in November to plead guilty to criminal charges concerning the hoax that they are now accused of perpetrating. Apparently, they may have done so in an attempt to promote their participation on a television reality program.
