A 6-year-old boy who sparked a major US police search, when it was believed he was trapped inside a runaway hot air balloon, has been found safe and well.
Little Falcon Heene, from Fort Collins Colorado, was discovered in a cardboard box in the garage of a family home, after the air balloon drama unfolded live across American TV networks.
Local Sheriff, Jim Alderman, turned to reporters and held his thumbs up and said, "He's at the house. An investigator on the scene saw the boy and he was fine. He had apparently been in the attic the whole time."
Earlier United States police began hunting for the boy after the homemade helium balloon he was thought to be inside came down to earth empty.
The silver 'flying saucer' which is about 20ft across, had drifted off after coming loose from its moorings - apparently with youngster Falcon Heene inside.
The boy's brother said he saw the six-year-old climbing into the contraption before it became untethered.
The runaway balloon soared up to 7,000ft in the air and reached speeds of 25mph.
It drifted for miles across the Colorado skies before landing gently in the desert after slowly deflating.
Police recovered the foil-covered balloon, understood to have been airborne for two hours, but there were no signs of Falcon Heene inside.
There were concerns the boy may have fallen from the craft.
Falcon's father Richard Heene built the balloon at his family's home in Fort Collins, reportedly as part of his work as an amateur scientist.
Heene, who once appeared on TV as the father of a "storm-chasing, science-obsessed" family, said the craft was hovering above the ground before it came loose.
Speaking at the family home after the boy was found, father Richard Heene said: "This is a relief. We're gonna watch him a lot closer."
Falcon added: "I was scared because I thought he (my father) would yell at me."
iz, uk around 2 years, 7 months ago