DNA tests confirmed that a body found off the coast of Brazil is that of a priest who disappeared while flying over the Atlantic buoyed by hundreds of brightly colored party balloons, authorities said Tuesday.

The Rev. Adelir Antonio de Carli set off from the Brazilian port city of Paranagua on April 20 strapped to 1,000 helium-filled balloons in an attempt to raise money to build a rest stop and worship center for truckers.

But the 41-year-old Roman Catholic priest soon lost contact with his ground team, and the cluster of yellow, orange, pink and white balloons was found in the water a day later.

Tugboat workers discovered a body off Rio de Janeiro in early July that authorities believed belonged to the cleric.

Medical examiner worker Rosane Alves said Tuesday that tests comparing DNA samples from de Carli’s brother to the body confirmed their suspicions.

Some will call him a fool, but I’ll applaud that he died trying to help others – instead of cloistered and meditating on the number of pinheads required to count angels.

Thanks, K B




  1. Personality says:

    god didn’t save him?

  2. And here I was thinking that he had gone bodily up into heaven …

  3. MotaMan says:

    God is my Co-Pilot

  4. Improbus says:

    Can a priest receive a Darwin award? It’s not like they are allowed to procreate.

  5. Patrick K says:

    Where is the Flying Nun when you needed her. woops, was that a Lighting Bolt!

  6. Paddy-O says:

    #3 – What he really needed was a navigator…

  7. eyeofthetiger says:

    He was trying to raise money for a truck stop/church? Strangely poetic. Fly on freebird.

  8. Special Ed says:

    It’s a shame more priests don’t do this.

  9. Mr. Fusion says:

    God damned idiot !!!If god wanted a fucking truck stop there he would have built his own fucking truck stop. But NO !!! God doesn’t want a truck stop so he not only didn’t build one, he blew this fucking retard out to sea.

  10. Jägermeister says:

    #5 – Patrick K – Where is the Flying Nun…

    Here

  11. Gary, the dangerous infidel says:

    The priest’s brightly colored party balloons were probably not of helium-grade latex (thicker and less porous). Normal balloons looks pretty leaky to a tiny helium atom, and those little suckers are always looking for an excuse to escape to freedom. Thus, the clock ticks rather quickly on the buoyancy of normal helium-filled party balloons unless the Lord intervenes with a miracle.

    As comprehensive a scientific text as the Bible is, some things were left out for the sake of brevity 😉

  12. Magnus Patris says:

    Magnus Dopus

  13. Paddy-O says:

    Within 10-15 years this won’t matter as it will probably be illegal to smoke anywhere, including your home…

  14. Paddy-O says:

    That was weird, I was in the Franks M.J. thread…

  15. Who says:

    Thank god for pellet rifles.

  16. Brian says:

    The moronic posters at gizmodo were laughing at this guy who gave his life for his cause, something these tools could never possibly imagine doing. Hell a sacrifice for them is having to get coca cola instead of pepsi.

  17. Hmeyers says:

    -1 idiot

    Hey, it’s true!

  18. JT Shea says:

    I seem to remember the problem was he didn’t know how to use the GPS emergency locator device he had brought for just such an emergency. The last cell phone contact was his asking for instructons on how to use it.

    Thats the idiotic part. You can’t bash the guy for his beliefs or trying to help people. For not knowing how his emergency equipment WORKS, sure, bash away.

    JT

  19. Mr. Fusion says:

    #16, Brian,

    Hell a sacrifice for them is having to get coca cola instead of pepsi.

    Hell, you couldn’t be more correct. My wife has sent me to the store in a blizzard to get her Diet Pepsi.

    BTW, I’m laughing too. This puts the guy up as a leading DARWIN AWARD contender.

  20. it's just an expression says:

    TOO FUNNY

  21. sad_cad says:

    Just sad. If he gave his life trying to raise
    money for starving kids, that would be different. But a truck stop. God gave him the
    power of intellegent reasoning. Pick your
    battles wisely.

  22. Micah Imler says:

    Be careful. Your empathy may spill over into your coffee and poison you into feeling something.Buy swtor credits


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