Search as Brazilian priest tied to balloons floats away

A Catholic priest who floated away under hundreds of helium balloons in a bid to raise money for his parish is missing off Brazil.

Only pieces of the party balloons have been found by searchers looking for Reverend Adelir Antonio de Carli off the coast of Santa Catarina state.

Mr de Carli, 41, lifted off from the port city of Paranagua yesterday afternoon wearing a helmet, thermal suit and a parachute.



He was reported missing about eight hours later after losing contact with port authority officials, according to the treasurer of his Sao Cristovao parish, Denise Gallas.

Mr di Carli had been trying to break a 19-hour record for flying with balloons to raise money for a spiritual rest-stop for truckers in Paranagua, Brazil's second-largest port for agricultural products.

He soared to an altitude of 6000m then descended to about 2500m for his flight to the city of Dourados, 750km northwest of his parish. But winds pushed him out to sea and Mr di Carli was 50km off the coast when he last contacted Paranagua's port authority, Ms Gallas said. Mr di Carli had a GPS device, a satellite phone, a buoyant chair and was an experienced skydiver, she said.

With video of the Reverend de Carli taking off.