# Brazilian priest floats away



## Blueberry08 (22 Apr 2008)

Oh dear.


Brazilian priest missing after balloon stunt

A Catholic priest is missing off the coast of Brazil after floating off while strapped to hundreds of helium balloons.

Fr Adelir Antonio de Carli and up to 1,000 balloons lifted off from the port city of Paranagua on Sunday afternoon. The priest was wearing a helmet, a thermal suit and a parachute.

Rescuers in helicopters and small fishing boats have been searching off the coast of Santa Catarina state, where pieces of balloons were found.

The priest was attempting to break a 19-hour record for the most hours flying with balloons to raise money for a spiritual rest stop for truckers in Paranagua.

However Fr De Carli was reported missing about eight hours later after losing contact with port authority officials.

Video taken before the record attempt showed the smiling 41-year-old priest slipping into a flight suit, being strapped to a seat attached to a huge column of green, red, white and yellow balloons, and soaring into the air to the cheers of a crowd.

The priest soared to an altitude of 6,000m then descended to about 2,500m for his planned flight to the city of Dourados, 750km northwest of his parish.

But winds pushed him in another direction, and Father De Carli was 50km off the coast when he last contacted Paranagua's port authority.

'*I need to get in touch with the ground crew so that they can teach me how to use this GPS tracking device,*' he said in his final recording transmitted by local television.

It is understood the priest was an experienced skydiver.


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## Purple (22 Apr 2008)

Maybe he should have read up on Padre Pio, apparently he could float all by himself.

I know it’s tragic for the man involved but...


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## Blueberry08 (22 Apr 2008)

Purple said:


> I know it’s tragic for the man involved but...



I was in a hotel in Wicklow earlier and I found myself looking out the window every now and then to see if I could spot him.

I don't mean to be harsh, but might he not have got a lesson or two in how to use his GPS tracking device _before_ he set off? 

Oh well, looks like his balloon is well and truly burst, so to speak.


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## Purple (22 Apr 2008)

Blueberry08 said:


> I was in a hotel in Wicklow earlier and I found myself looking out the window every now and then to see if I could spot him.


 LOL


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## Blueberry08 (22 Apr 2008)

Actually, I _completely_ missed the best bit: he was trying to raise money for a spiritual rest stop for truckers in Paranagua?

_What_ is a spiritual rest stop? 

Is it like Mother Hubbards with candles?


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## Simeon (22 Apr 2008)

Purple said:


> Maybe he should have read up on Padre Pio, apparently he could float all by himself.
> 
> I know it’s tragic for the man involved but...


The said stigmatist is also an afficianado of bilocation games. So perhaps he could be in Mother Hubbards as we speak. Or even Patagonia


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## Blueberry08 (22 Apr 2008)

Simeon said:


> The said stigmatist is also an afficianado of bilocation games. So perhaps he could be in Mother Hubbards as we speak. Or even Patagonia



Surfing? Or fly-fishing?


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## Simeon (22 Apr 2008)

Apparently just _appearing!_ But if he wanted to surf and fish ....... he could do both simultaneously ...... providing they were in different locations.


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## Megan (22 Apr 2008)

Simeon said:


> The said stigmatist is also an afficianado of bilocation games. So perhaps he could be in Mother Hubbards as we speak. Or even Patagonia



With the new motor way its unlikely he could find Mother Hubbards.


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## DrMoriarty (22 Apr 2008)

Pretty colours...


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## Blueberry08 (22 Apr 2008)

It's not looking good:

[broken link removed]


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## Purple (23 Apr 2008)

They all knew it wouldn't work but noone would say it to him... they didn't want to burst his bubble...


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## Blueberry08 (23 Apr 2008)

Purple said:


> They all knew it wouldn't work but noone would say it to him... they didn't want to burst his bubble...


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## Simeon (23 Apr 2008)

Purple said:


> They all knew it wouldn't work but noone would say it to him... they didn't want to burst his bubble...


Remembering the last South Sea Bubble that burst in the early 1700s. And re Megan's (and in the absence of Club Man) piece ...... I thought that all these little bits of motor ways join up to form one, er, joined up _MOTORWAY_


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## Ceist Beag (23 Apr 2008)

Blueberry08 said:


> It is understood the priest was an experienced skydiver.


Maybe he's looking for the ultimate skydive height?!!


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## dewdrop (23 Apr 2008)

Is it not a little harsh to be poking fun at such a sad event?


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## Purple (23 Apr 2008)

dewdrop said:


> Is it not a little harsh to be poking fun at such a sad event?



Yes.


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## Simeon (23 Apr 2008)

Easy now ........ have a Kit Kat and a cuppa. The balloons have been found but no sign of your man.


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## DavyJones (24 Apr 2008)

Come on people have a heart, there's not too many good people left. I hope his faith keeps him afloat.


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## Simeon (24 Apr 2008)

I thought that helium balloons floated in air and not on water. Why, if is a light gas, did they become waterbound?


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## Staples (24 Apr 2008)

Blueberry08 said:


> _What_ is a spiritual rest stop?
> 
> Is it like Mother Hubbards with candles?


 
Superb!


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## Remix (24 Apr 2008)

dewdrop said:


> Is it not a little harsh to be poking fun at such a sad event?


 
We're the new atheists
and we're here to stay
Irrational bile and hatred
can make our day

Frogs to princes we believe
Evolve from kisses we conceive
From mud to rabbits, plants and bugs
To lizards, birds to Darwin thugs... 

So watch out holy-joe 
As you look to the sky
Here comes our sneers and a 
finger-in-yer-eye

yeaahh for us! we're new and we're atheists ! woo-hoo!


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## Purple (24 Apr 2008)

Remix said:


> We're the new atheists
> and we're here to stay
> Irrational bile and hatred
> can make our day
> ...



Did you make that up yourself?


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## Remix (24 Apr 2008)

Purple said:


> Did you make that up yourself?


 
Author unknown. My word and language skills are only slightly advanced of the "ugh! remix eat food now" level.


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## Blueberry08 (24 Apr 2008)

Remix said:


> We're the new atheists
> and we're here to stay
> Irrational bile and hatred
> can make our day
> ...



I remember that song, it was track three on Kajagoogoo's debut album.


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## Purple (24 Apr 2008)

Blueberry08 said:


> I remember that song, it was track three on Kajagoogoo's debut album.


 I bet you made that up


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## cobalt (25 Apr 2008)

Reminds me of Larry Walters ("Lawnchair Larry").


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