Harrowing Last Words Of Priest Who Tried To Fly With 1,000 Helium Balloons For Charity

A priest’s attempt to raise money for charity by breaking the record for the longest flight with helium balloons ended in tragedy.

Father Adelir Antonio de Carli strapped himself to 1,000 helium balloons with the goal of floating across the ocean, but his body was discovered months after the daring stunt.

His last communication with his support team hinted that things were going wrong. 

Father Carli’s challenge was to beat the previous record for the longest helium balloon flight, which was 19 hours.

There wasn't much concern initially, as Father Carli was a skilled skydiver and had training in survival and wilderness skills.

He was no stranger to risky and dangerous stunts.

The priest was not afraid of daredevil stunts YouTube/@catholicnewsagency

On April 20, 2008, he set off for the flight, wearing a helmet, waterproof coveralls, and an aluminum thermal flight suit.

He was also equipped with a GPS tracker, a radio to contact air traffic control if needed, and a parachute.

Earlier that year, Father Carli had already taken a similar adventure, reaching an altitude of 17,390 feet.

That flight went smoothly, as he took off from the town of Ampere and safely landed in Argentina.

However, his second attempt ended in disaster. He vanished about eight hours after taking off.

In a phone interview with Brazilian TV channel Globo during the flight, Father Carli mentioned he was "very cold but fine."

He did, however, say he was having trouble with his GPS. Reports indicated he had reached an altitude of 20,000 feet.

Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse. The last communication from the priest was that he was "losing height."

When he first went missing, officials remained hopeful that he would be found alive.

Things did not go to plan YouTube/@catholicnewsagency

Penha Fire Department Chief Johnny Coelho initially said there was an "80% chance that he is still alive."

Tragically, that wasn’t the case. Months later, officials found Father Carli’s body, and DNA testing later confirmed that he was the missing priest.

At the time, Macae’s chief of police Daniel Bandeira explained: "We were almost certain that it was the priest due to various elements, such as the clothes and material used in the balloon trip.

"The DNA only confirmed our suspicions."

Even today, the exact cause of Father Carli’s death is uncertain.

Some speculate that strong winds might have blown him off course, but the full details remain unknown.