COLORADO NEWS

Netflix documentary about Colorado’s ‘Balloon Boy’ premieres July 15

Jul 14, 2025, 4:02 PM | Updated: Jul 15, 2025, 8:58 am

It was one of those moments that we all remember where we were when it happened. If you were around in October of 2009, you likely know exactly what TV you were glued to as “Balloon Boy” allegedly floated across the Colorado sky.

Of course, there ended up being no 6-year-old stuck inside a silver balloon floating across Northern Colorado, but the hoax was such a compelling story that Netflix has turned it into a documentary.

The show is part of Netflix’s series “Trainwreck,” and it comes out Tuesday.

Netflix describes the show like this:

On Oct. 15, 2009, a father in Fort Collins, Colorado, speaks to a 911 operator, claiming that his homemade dirigible has escaped from the family backyard, carrying his 6-year-old son inside. This stranger-than-fiction claim is backed up by footage from a news helicopter, which catches up with the balloon and televises the chase. What starts as a local emergency quickly escalates into a national one, as everyone from the local sheriff’s department to the National Guard scrambles to come up with a plan to safely rescue “Balloon Boy.”

As the balloon softly lands, a captivated nation prays for a miracle reunion — only to discover that no boy is inside. But what appears to be a tragedy takes a sharp turn into something else. Public sympathy quickly turns into righteous outrage, as Balloon Boy quickly becomes one of America’s most infamous — and bizarre — news stories.

Check out the trailer here…

YouTube video

Colorado News

(Photo by Gado/Getty Images)...

Kathie J

Tesla goes ‘Mad Max’ mode, allowing self-driving cars to exceed speed limit

Tesla has brought back its “Mad Max” mode that allows its self-driving cars to blow past the speed limit. This is a real feature in the car. “Yahoo News” says Tesla […]

5 hours ago

...

Big Mic

Interview – Comedian Jim Norton at Comedy Works this weekend

Comedian Jim Norton stopped by Big Mic’s Open Mic to talk about his shows this weekend at Comedy Works downtown, Halloween and more! Get tickets to see Jim Norton: Click […]

10 hours ago

Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post...

Shawn Patrick

Brooke Shields calls out Casa Bonita for live characters’ low pay

Sure, it’s not for a reason they probably want, but most Mexican restaurants don’t get shout outs from famous actresses, so at least Casa Bonita knows they have a solid […]

1 day ago

(Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Netflix)...

Shawn Patrick

‘Love is Blind’ may not come back to Denver after unsuccessful season

WARNING: If you have not finished Season 9 of Netflix’s “Love is Blind,” reading this article may be a spoiler.  As fun as it was to say one of the […]

1 day ago

Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images...

Shawn Patrick

Basketball legend Chauncey Billups arrested by FBI

When it comes to basketball, there’s no one that is more “Colorado” than Chauncey Billups. He grew up in Denver, played in high school at George Washington, then went to […]

1 day ago

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)...

Shawn Patrick

Haunted car wash in Denver open Friday, Saturday and Thursday

You may have been to a haunted house or two during the Halloween season, but what about a haunted car wash? Denver has one to help you check that off […]

1 day ago

Netflix documentary about Colorado’s ‘Balloon Boy’ premieres July 15