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Minneapolis (AP)

Balloon incident sparks Minnesotan's memory of 1969 Vikings game

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As the country watched a helium balloon believed to be carrying a Colorado boy this week, a Twin Cities man recalled his own similar incident 40 years ago.

Rick Snyder was 11 when he participated in a Vikings-49ers halftime show in 1969. He stepped into a hot-air balloon that was supposed to be tethered, but the rope snapped and the balloon shot upward.

He recalls feeling scared when he was in the clouds and unable to see the ground.

He'd been in a balloon before so he knew to turn off the burner and open a flap. He landed in the Minnesota River a few miles away and was bounced unhurt into the water.

Six-year-old Falcon Heene vanished Thursday around the time a homemade helium balloon floated away from his home. He was hiding in the family's garage the whole time.

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Information from: KSTP-TV