A priest in Brazil met a tragic end after attempting to raise money for charity by attaching 1000 helium balloons to himself.
Father Adelir Antonio de Carli, famously dubbed the ‘balloon priest’ of Brazil, attempted an audacious feat involving tying himself to 1,000 helium-filled balloons, all in the hopes of raising funds for a chapel dedicated to truckers in his highway parish.
Clad in a helmet, aluminum thermal flight suit, and waterproof coveralls, the Roman Catholic priest took off from the port city of Paranagua on April 20, 2008, equipped with a parachute for safety, per the Guardian.
The ambitious priest aimed to shatter the 19-hour record for the longest time spent airborne. Despite his previous experience as a skydiver and rigorous survival training, de Carli’s second attempt at this death-defying stunt would prove fatal.
Months prior, in January of the same year, he had embarked on a similar journey, using 600 balloons to soar to heights of over 17,000 feet before safely landing in Argentina.
However, his next attempt would prove fatal.
Equipped with a GPS tracker and radio for communication with air traffic control, de Carli set off on his world record attempt.
But The Mirror reports that, during one of his last communications, Father Carli reported trouble with his GPS. He told those on the ground that he was “very cold, but fine”.
It is believed that Father Carli soared to 20,000ft before he was blown off course. In his final message, he believed he would land in the sea due to “losing height”.
Eight hours into his flight and around 55 miles traveled, the 41-year-old priest disappeared from radar, sparking a frantic search effort involving planes, helicopters, and rescue teams.
Two days after his departure, scattered balloons were spotted in the sea near Brazil’s Santa Catarina state, marking the last known location of de Carli. At the time, hopes that the priest would be found alive were high, with Fire Chief Johnny Coelhosaid saying that there was an “80% chance” Father Carli would be okay.
Sadly, despite exhaustive search efforts, his body was finally recovered months later in July, off the coast of southeastern Brazil.
“We were almost certain that it was the priest due to various elements, such as the clothes and material used in the balloon trip,” remarked Macae’s chief of police, Daniel Bandeira. “The DNA only confirmed our suspicions,” per Reuters.
Brother Moacir de Carli expressed relief that they could now proceed with a proper burial service after months of uncertainty.
This story has reemerged recently, and people have offered their thoughts on what is a pretty bizarre story.
The priest died after tying himself to 1000 helium balloons. Credit: Luxx Images/Getty
One person said: “It may have not been the best idea, but it was made with pure hearted intentions. May heaven be even more than he could have even imagined.”
A second person said: “Only he knows what his calling was. MAY HE REST IN PARADISE….May his life’s work outshine his end.”
A third added: “Very sad that this crazy world drove him to this. Wish he hadn’t felt so helpless. Also wish he had not used balloons which are so dangerous to animal life and probably caused more deaths.”