Adelir Antonio de Carli
Encyclopedia
Adelir Antonio de Carli also known in Brazil as Padre Baloneiro, was a Brazil
ian Catholic
priest
, famous for going missing 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
.
violations against beggars in Paranaguá
. These denunciations caused seven Municipal Guard agents and the municipal security secretary to be arrested.
.
Using 600 balloons, de Carli reportedly reached heights of 5300 m (17,390 ft).
of 6000 metres (19,685 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 after the flight, a Penha
(SC
) Fire Department commander familiar with the situation put the missing priest's chances of still being alive at 80%. The Brazilian Navy
called off the ocean search on April 29, saying the chances of finding de Carli alive in the ocean were "very remote".
On July 4, 2008, the lower part of his body (waist
and leg
s) 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.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
, famous for going missing during an attempt at cluster ballooning
Cluster ballooning
Cluster ballooning is a form of ballooning where a harness attaches a balloonist to a cluster of helium-inflated rubber balloons.Unlike traditional hot-air balloons, where a single large balloon is equipped with vents enabling altitude control, cluster balloons are multiple, small, readily...
on April 20, 2008. Carli, an experienced skydiver, undertook the exercise in order to raise money to fund a spiritual rest area
Rest area
A rest area, travel plaza, rest stop, or service area is a public facility, located next to a large thoroughfare such as a highway, expressway, or freeway at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting on to secondary roads...
for truck drivers in the Paraná
Paraná (state)
Paraná is one of the states of Brazil, located in the South of the country, bordered on the north by São Paulo state, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Santa Catarina state and the Misiones Province of Argentina, and on the west by Mato Grosso do Sul and the republic of Paraguay,...
port city of Paranaguá
Paranaguá
Paranaguá is a city in the state of Paraná in Brazil. Founded in 1648, it is Paraná's oldest city.It is known for its excellent port facilities, being the sea port for Curitiba, the capital of Paraná....
.
Work as human rights advocate
Adelir de Carli first became famous in 2006 when he denounced human rightsHuman rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
violations against beggars in Paranaguá
Paranaguá
Paranaguá is a city in the state of Paraná in Brazil. Founded in 1648, it is Paraná's oldest city.It is known for its excellent port facilities, being the sea port for Curitiba, the capital of Paraná....
. These denunciations caused seven Municipal Guard agents and the municipal security secretary to be arrested.
Previous attempts at cluster ballooning
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, ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
Using 600 balloons, de Carli reportedly reached heights of 5300 m (17,390 ft).
April 20, 2008 attempt and disappearance
After taking off in a chair attached to 1000 balloons, Carli at one point reached an altitudeAltitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
of 6000 metres (19,685 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
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
, helmet
Helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries.Ceremonial or symbolic helmets without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from...
, waterproof coveralls, GPS
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
device, mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
, satellite phone
Satellite phone
A satellite telephone, satellite phone, or satphone is a type of mobile phone that connects to orbiting satellites instead of terrestrial cell sites...
, flotation device chair, aluminum thermal flight suit
Flight suit
A flight suit is a full body garment, worn while flying aircraft such as military airplanes, gliders and helicopters. These suits are generally made to keep the wearer warm, as well as being practical , and durable . Its appearance is usually similar to a jumpsuit. A military flight suit may also...
, and at least five days of food and drinking water. His training for the stunt included jungle survival
Survival skills
Survival skills are techniques a person may use in a dangerous situation to save themselves or others...
and mountain climbing courses, but apparently did not include instruction on use of his GPS
GPS navigation device
A GPS navigation device is any device that receives Global Positioning System signals for the purpose of determining the device's current location on Earth...
- 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 after the flight, a Penha
Penha
For the neighborhood in São Paulo, see Penha . For the neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, see Penha Circular. For the convent in Espírito Santo, Brazil, see Penha Convent....
(SC
Santa Catarina (state)
Santa Catarina is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. Its capital is Florianópolis, which mostly lies on the Santa Catarina Island. Neighbouring states are Rio Grande do Sul to the south and Paraná to the north. It is bounded on the east by...
) Fire Department commander familiar with the situation put the missing priest's chances of still being alive at 80%. The Brazilian Navy
Brazilian Navy
The Brazilian Navy is a branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible for conducting naval operations. It is the largest navy in Latin America...
called off the ocean search on April 29, saying the chances of finding de Carli alive in the ocean were "very remote".
On July 4, 2008, the lower part of his body (waist
Waist
The waist is the part of the abdomen between the rib cage and hips. On proportionate people, the waist is the narrowest part of the torso....
and leg
Human leg
The human leg is the entire lower extremity or limb of the human body, including the foot, thigh and even the hip or gluteal region; however, the precise definition in human anatomy refers only to the section of the lower limb extending from the knee to the ankle.Legs are used for standing,...
s) was found by an offshore oilrig
Oil platform
An oil platform, also referred to as an offshore platform or, somewhat incorrectly, oil rig, is a lаrge structure with facilities to drill wells, to extract and process oil and natural gas, and to temporarily store product until it can be brought to shore for refining and marketing...
support vessel. It was floating on the sea
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
, about 100 km from Macaé
Macaé
Macaé is a city located in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, 180 km northeast of the state capital. Its population was recorded as 206,748 in 2010 and the municipal covers an area of 1,216 km²....
, and it was initially identified by the clothing. On July 29, 2008, DNA tests
Genetic fingerprinting
DNA profiling is a technique employed by forensic scientists to assist in the identification of individuals by their respective DNA profiles. DNA profiles are encrypted sets of numbers that reflect a person's DNA makeup, which can also be used as the person's identifier...
confirmed that it belonged to Adelir de Carli. The comparison was made with DNA samples from the priest's brother.
See also
- Cluster ballooningCluster ballooningCluster ballooning is a form of ballooning where a harness attaches a balloonist to a cluster of helium-inflated rubber balloons.Unlike traditional hot-air balloons, where a single large balloon is equipped with vents enabling altitude control, cluster balloons are multiple, small, readily...
- Other intrepid balloonists:
- Bartolomeu de GusmãoBartolomeu de GusmãoBartolomeu Lourenço de Gusmão , was a priest and naturalist born in the then Portuguese colony of Brazil, noted for his early work on lighter-than-air airship design....
, a priest and naturalist born in the Portuguese colony of Brazil, recalled for his first balloon flight in Lisbon in 1720 (the balloon burned). - Danny DeckchairDanny DeckchairDanny Deckchair is a 2003 Australian comedy film written and directed by Jeff Balsmeyer. The majority of Danny Deckchair was shot in Bellingen, a Mid North Coast town in New South Wales....
, a 2004 Australian comedy film inspired by the story of "Lawnchair Larry" (Larry WaltersLarry WaltersLawrence Richard Walters, nicknamed "Lawnchair Larry" or the "Lawn Chair Pilot", was an American truck driver who took flight on July 2, 1982 in a homemade airship. Dubbed Inspiration I, the "flying machine" consisted of an ordinary patio chair with 45 helium-filled weather balloons attached to it...
). - Larry WaltersLarry WaltersLawrence Richard Walters, nicknamed "Lawnchair Larry" or the "Lawn Chair Pilot", was an American truck driver who took flight on July 2, 1982 in a homemade airship. Dubbed Inspiration I, the "flying machine" consisted of an ordinary patio chair with 45 helium-filled weather balloons attached to it...
, an American truck driver who took flight in California on July 2, 1982 in a homemade aircraft consisting of an ordinary patio chair with 45 helium-filled weather balloons attached to it. - Matias PerezMatias PerezMatias Perez was a Portuguese pilot, canopy maker and Cuban resident who, carried away with the ever increasing popularity of aerostatic aircraft, disappeared while attempting an aerostatic flight from Havana's "Plaza de Marte" on June 28, 1856.A few days earlier he had made a successful attempt,...
, Portuguese entrepreneur who attempted a balloon flight from Havana (Cuba) on June 28, 1856, and was lost. - Yoshikazu Suzuki, a Japanese balloonist also lost in the ocean. (Entry in Japanese only)
- Bartolomeu de Gusmão