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Priest who flew via party balloons wins Darwin Award

12:49 AM Sat, Jan 03, 2009 |
By Sheila Lennon    Email this author |   Email this entry

bpriest2.jpgbpriest.jpgRev. Adelir Antonio de Carli The Balloon Priest, who launched himself via 1,000 helium party balloons, attempting to break a 19-hour flight record "to raise money for a spiritual rest-stop for truckers in the Brazilian port of Paranagua" has won a 2008 Darwin Award.

("The Darwin Awards salute the improvement of the human genome by honoring those who accidentally remove themselves from it...")

The award citation notes,

The priest took numerous safety precautions, including wearing a survival suit, selecting a buoyant chair, and packing a satellite phone and a GPS. However, the late Adelir Antonio made a fatal mistake.

He did not know how to use the GPS.

The winds changed, as winds do, and he was blown inexorably toward open sea. He could have parachuted to safety while over land, but chose not to. When the voyager was perilously lost at sea, he prudently phoned for help. But rescuers were unable to reach him since he could not use his GPS! HE struggled with the control panel as the charge on the satellite phone dwindled....

Father de Carli floated out to sea and his body eventually washed up.

Other winners include a man whose Porsche Cayenne was stuck on railroad tracks, so he ran at the train to stop it, and a man who "wondered what it would feel like to connect his workplace test equipment to his chest piercings." All at that Darwin link.

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2 Comments

Silas Scarborough said:

I can't believe you're quoting Darwin Awards! That stuff just doesn't meet your usual high standard so I'm guessing an imposter sat in yesterday.

Link | January 3, 2009 7:30 AM
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Sheila said:

I am not who you think I am, Silas.

Link | January 3, 2009 1:47 PM
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