Name Adelir de Role Priest | Parents Aurelio de Carli | |
 | ||
Died 2008, Paranagua, Parana, Brazil | ||
Adelir antonio de carli el cura desaparecido en el aire
Adelir Antônio de Carli (1966–2008), also known in Brazil as Padre Baloeiro or Padre do Balão, was a Brazilian Catholic priest, who died during an attempt at cluster ballooning on April 20, 2008. Carli, an experienced skydiver, undertook the exercise in order to raise money to fund a spiritual rest area for truck drivers in the Paraná port city of Paranaguá.
Contents
- Adelir antonio de carli el cura desaparecido en el aire
- Brazil Priest Carried by 1000 of Balloons Disappeared CNN
- Human rights advocate
- Previous cluster ballooning attempts
- Attempt and disappearance
- References
Brazil Priest Carried by 1000 of Balloons Disappeared. CNN
Human rights advocate
In 2006,de Carli denounced human rights violations against beggars in Paranaguá. These denunciations caused seven Municipal Guard agents and the municipal security secretary to be arrested.
Previous cluster ballooning attempts
De Carli's goal for the cluster ballooning exercise was to break the 19-hour flight record and claim a new world record. His first attempt was on 13 January 2008, during which de Carli successfully completed a four-hour flight from Ampère, Paraná, Brazil, to San Antonio, Misiones, Argentina over a total distance of 25 kilometers. Using 600 balloons, de Carli reportedly reached heights of 5300 m (17,390 ft).
Attempt and disappearance
On April 20, 2008, after taking off in a chair attached to 1000 balloons, Carli was able to reach an altitude of 6,000 metres (19,700 ft) before losing contact with authorities. Pieces of balloon were later reported floating in the sea off the coast.
Carli's flight equipment included a parachute, helmet, waterproof coveralls, GPS device, mobile phone, satellite phone, flotation device chair, aluminum thermal flight suit, and at least five days of food and drinking water. His training for the stunt included jungle survival and mountain climbing courses, but apparently did not include instruction on use of his GPS - in a telephone call he made during the flight, he stated that if someone could just explain how to use his GPS he could relay his position to rescuers. Two days following the flight, a commander from the Penha, Santa Catarina, Fire Department, who was informed about the case, estimated the missing priest's likelihood of survival at 80%. However, on April 29, the Brazilian Navy discontinued its search in the ocean, stating that the probability of locating de Carli alive was considerably low. On July 4, 2008, the lower part of his body (waist and legs) was found by an offshore oilrig support vessel. It was floating on the sea, about 100 km from Macaé, and it was initially identified by the clothing. On July 29, 2008, DNA tests confirmed that it belonged to Adelir de Carli. The comparison was made with DNA samples from the priest's brother.