Netflix has added Trainwreck: Balloon Boy, a new documentary about how a flying saucer emergency gripped America.
In October 2009, Colorado emergency services received a frantic 911 call from local man Richard Heene, who claimed that his homemade flying saucer had escaped from his backyard with his six-year-old son Falcon inside.
In the trailer, we see news reports showing the UFO flying. With National Guard helicopters in pursuit, millions watched on TV as the helium-filled balloon drifted for 90 minutes before coming down near Denver International Airport, which was shut down during the incident.
But Falcon was not inside, and an object had been seen falling from the balloon during its flight. A desperate search began with authorities fearing for his safety, only for Falcon to be found hiding in the attic at his family home.
Rumors of a hoax began to circulate when it was revealed that Jeene and his wife, Mayumi, had been pitching the idea for a reality TV show, and the police came to believe the whole episode was just a reckless publicity stunt. The family was even interviewed on the Larry King Live TV show.
As the documentary reveals, the pair were given short jail sentences, but maintained their innocence and were pardoned by the governor of Colorado in 2020.
"Everybody started criticising us," reflects Richard Heene, who maintains his innocence to this day. "But all I wanted to do was make a really fantastic project for the kids."
The trailer includes lots of family footage of them working on the flying saucer. Also interviewed is a grown-up Falcon himself. "I think it's crazy how I was six years old, and I was able to affect the whole state of the country."
This is just the latest in a series of excellent Trainwreck documentary series. Personally, I especially enjoyed The Poop Cruise, about a cruise where pretty much everything that could go wrong did.
Trainwreck: Balloon Boy is on Netflix now. See our best shows on Netflix guide for more series to enjoy.
