Body Of Priest Who Flew By Helium-Filled Balloons Discovered In Ocean
Posted July 31, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The long strange saga of a Brazilian priest who took off for the heavens using hundreds of helium filled air balloons has had a tragic ending. But it solves a mystery that has been lingering for months.
Last April, we brought you the story of Father Adelir Antonio de Carli, who decided to raise money for a chapel for truckers in his local parish by taking on the outlandish stunt. His goal: break the world’s record for longest time in flight with party balloons.
De Carli had tried a similar journey before, spending four hours aloft using the same methods last January. He seemed to have everything he needed to complete his hoped for mission, including a helmet, a thermal flight suit, waterproof coveralls, a radio, a five-day food and water supply and a parachute.
But eight hours into the flight, something went very wrong. He managed to use a cell phone to call friends to say he was about to crash into the ocean. After that, authorities were unable to raise him on the radio.
He hadn’t been seen until this week, when a tugboat patrolling the waters off the city of Macae spotted something floating nearby. They pulled a corpse from the Atlantic and forensics managed to identify the remains.
“We were almost certain that it was the priest due to various elements, such as the clothes and material used in the balloon trip,” Macae Police Chief Daniel Bandeira reveals. “The DNA only confirmed our suspicions.”
It’s still not clear what went wrong with his flying gear or why he wound up going down.
