Colorado balloon boy's dad denies saga was hoax

DENVER (Reuters) - A Colorado father rejected suggestions on Friday that a search-and-rescue operation triggered by fears his son had floated away in a home-made balloon was an attention-seeking hoax.

Richard Heene appeared on several morning television programs to beat back the hoax talk, fuelled by 6-year-old Falcon Heene's statement that he had hidden in the family's attic on Thursday "for the show."

"Absolutely not, this is not some sort of hoax," a visibly irritated Heene said on NBC's "Today" show in an interview made more bizarre by Falcon vomiting while his father talked.

"What have I got to gain?" asked Heene, an amateur scientist whose family is known for their adventurous storm-chasing and who have appeared on prime-time reality TV.

Falcon was found alive in the attic of his home -- a happy ending after he was thought to be in the silver flying saucer-shaped balloon watched live on television as it drifted for hours over Colorado. When the craft landed, the boy was not inside, prompting fears he had fallen out.

Local authorities said that while they did not believe the incident was a hoax they would interview the family again.

But Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden, who is in charge of the case, told local media early on Friday that "if it turns out to be a hoax ... certainly we would seek compensation" for the cost of the rescue efforts.

NO STRANGERS TO TV

Falcon -- whose brother had said that he had climbed inside the balloon before it became untethered -- said he had hidden in the attic over the garage because he was scared after his father scolded him earlier for climbing into the balloon's utility compartment.

But later on Thursday, Falcon himself aroused suspicions when asked on CNN's "Larry King Live" why he stayed in hiding so long when people were calling his name. "You guys (his parents) said that, um, we did this for the show," he said.

Richard Heene and his wife, Mayumi, and three sons have appeared on ABC television reality show "Wife Swap" in which families swap mothers to deal with family problems.

Richard Heene said the balloon was part of an experiment by the Fort Collins, Colorado family whose adventures can be seen on their videos posted videos on You Tube.

Although the father has done most of the talking, the mother Mayumi Heene said on CNN that: "What we went through the whole day is real... I really thought we might have lost him."

Sheriff Alderden told ABC's "Good Morning America" that investigators initially believed that the family was telling the truth, based on their interviews and body language.

"They were completely convinced this was the real deal and not a hoax," he said. But Alderden said Falcon's comment on CNN had prompted questions.

"Certainly, that statement that was made last night on the interview raises the questions again," Alderden said. "We do intend to go back and try and re-interview the family."

(Additional reporting by Robert Boczkiewicz in Denver)

(Writing by Frances Kerry and Mary Milliken, Editing by Sandra Maler)