Balloon Landing Turns Crop to Crap

The infamously boy-less balloon caused even more trouble than we thought on Thursday -- because its landing also wreaked havoc on a valuable wheat crop desperately needed by a local family.



TMZ spoke with Doug and Joanna Abbott who told us their 300-acre wheat crop was destroyed mostly by emergency vehicles racing across their field to chase the balloon -- which also caused its fair share of damage.

The couple tells TMZ: "It does make you wonder what kind of attention the family was after by using this little boy."

Sadly, we're told the field only produces a crop of wheat once every two years, which means the couple will have to wait two more years to see the full fruit of their labors ... all because of some giant empty publicity stunt balloon.

We asked if the couple would be considering their legal options -- but they wouldn't say.



Tags: balloon boy, BalloonBoy, doug abbott, DougAbbott, joanna abbott, JoannaAbbott, wheat crop, WheatCrop

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(Page 1 of 5) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

1. balls

Posted at 12:24AM on Oct 17th 2009 by balls

2. Don't worry, it was all subsidized anyways.....

Posted at 12:32AM on Oct 17th 2009 by Jabarten

3. I wish these landowners good luck.
Stunt or accident (stunt!), these folks should be re-payed by the family for this damage.
Seriously.

If this guy even THINKS this government would okay such a traveling device, let HIM be the first one to fly off into the wild blue yonder.

We'll tape THAT for sure!

Posted at 12:31AM on Oct 17th 2009 by Me!

4. Fourth!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted at 12:33AM on Oct 17th 2009 by Simone

5. The real victims are where that stupid piece of jiffy pop landed. I really hope there is some recourse against that crazy father.

Posted at 12:36AM on Oct 17th 2009 by lysette

6. I hope they sue the ass off those publicity seeking whores.

Posted at 12:36AM on Oct 17th 2009 by Susy

7. Even after they sift through all the facts, this will still go against the grain.

Posted at 12:37AM on Oct 17th 2009 by chicken stripper

8. i watched these morons on wifeswap.. they ought to run that tape for child services and let them see what kind of whack jobs these ppl really are. constant screaming treating his wife like a slave. making the kids go to bed dressed for the next day.. i mean come on 1st jon and kate plus a litter now a psycho willard scott wannabe. GET A GRIP

Posted at 12:41AM on Oct 17th 2009 by kelly

9. Mr. and Mrs. Abbott, meet Harvey Levin

"he's a lawyer!"

Posted at 12:45AM on Oct 17th 2009 by bebopadoo

10. Ooooohhhhh! Ummbaa! Just when this was about to be swept under the rug. That poor little boy is going to have to live the rest of his life with this.

Posted at 12:50AM on Oct 17th 2009 by Campy

11. Hope they have crop insurance...

Posted at 1:03AM on Oct 17th 2009 by DOODAD

12. I would've already filed a lawsuit.

Posted at 1:07AM on Oct 17th 2009 by CriticAl

13. uhh ya i smell a lawsuit!!!
i sue them stupid ass ppl....

jus for publicity....and making the kid get sick and act like that on tv...
shame on u!!!!

Posted at 1:12AM on Oct 17th 2009 by heather

14. i think the balloon boy's parents were doing this as a publicity stunt, however...i live in Colorado and i'm familiar with the farms we've got here. there's no way that these peoples' farm was "mostly destroyed" by emergency vehicles. even just by watching the footage on TV, it was obvious that the emergency vehicles drove mostly on the dirt roads until they got near the landing site. i hate to say it (because i've got a lot of sympathy for our local farmers), but i think these people are just trying to make a quick buck.

Colorado has a lot of things going for it...apparently honest people isn't one of those things, though.

Posted at 1:39AM on Oct 17th 2009 by Cat MacKinnon

15. This family is wack, saw them on ''Wife Swap''. Scary, especially his wife, eeeek. ANYWHO, I called them today after watching the news to tell them how retarded I thought they were, and, they answered. It was awesome. He actually talked to me, Richard Henne, crazy. He kept asking me if I was from ''Discovery Productions'', lol. Here is the number.....

Richard Heene
5434 Fossil Ridge Dr W
Fort Collins, CO 80525
(970) 204-0482

Posted at 1:27AM on Oct 17th 2009 by John

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