the boy (not) in the balloon

This week the news and internet were full of the story of a balloon taking off with presumably a child in it.

Turned out the kid had been hiding in the shed all the time.

My intuition told me there was more to it.
How could the balloon get in the air?
Why would the child hide itself?

When watching an interview with the child and parents he said something that triggered my attention and made me think it had all been a set up to get attention for the balloon.

I was right.

The father will be brought to court, it's said.
The charges are not known yet.