Richard Heene, the father of the six-year-old mistakenly believed to have floated off to his doom in a helium balloon Thursday, told Good Morning America on Friday that rumors the incident was a publicity-driven ruse are "extremely pathetic." During the appearance, the young boy Falcon had to run off-camera to vomit several times.

Watch The Family Keep A United Front In The Video Above

"We were holding on to every second, every second, just hoping he might come out okay," Richard said. The family explained that Falcon’s vomiting is a side-effect of his asthma (a concerned Diane Sawyer suggested the boy's mother Mayumi accompany him).

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