Flying Priest Goes Missing

[Tuckerfan]

Maybe Jesus found him.

Rescuers in helicopters and small fishing boats were searching off the coast of Brazil’s Santa Catarina state, where a Roman Catholic priest borne aloft by hundreds of helium party balloons went missing Monday.

Rev. Adelir Antonio de Carli lifted off from the port city of Paranagua on Sunday 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.

CNN has video of the flight.

[Balance]

If I believed in Hell, I’d expect this to (further) secure my place in it, but…why, oh why, couldn’t it have been a nun?

I actually read about this guy earlier. He had pulled off the stunt once before, but unfavorable winds swept him out to sea this time. Apparently, he couldn’t figure out how to use his GPS to tell people where he was. With good coordinates to start from, they might have been able to find him. A sad thing–the poor guy may have been crazy, but at least he wasn’t boring.

[Marley23]

@Balance

Apparently, he couldn’t figure out how to use his GPS to tell people where he was.

So he didn’t believe in a God of the GPS?

[Tuckerfan]

@Marley23

So he didn’t believe in a God of the GPS?

Considering he was Catholic, I’d say that he forgot to pray to St. Isidore of Seville before he took off.

[Rick]

That’s what happens when you demote Christopher.

[DanBlather]

Shoulda sent Sally Fields after him.

[samclem]

@DanBlather

Shoulda sent Sally Fields after him.

Or Lawnchair Larry

[Johnny_L.A]

@samclem

Or Lawnchair Larry

Only if Lawnchair Larry didn’t find him he’d be a laughingstock.

He needs that like he needs a hole in the head.

[brujaja]

Wait, I thought that GPS means that THEY can locate YOU…?? And, aren’t cellphones supposed to have a GPS beacon too?

[Ale]

@Tuckerfan

Flying priest goes missing

Maybe Jesus found him.CNN has video of the flight.

Now that we are at it I should point out that Flying_Monk is nowhere to be found neither.

[Euphonious_Polemic]

@brujaja

Wait, I thought that GPS means that THEY can locate YOU…?? And, aren’t cellphones supposed to have a GPS beacon too?

You’re thinking of an EPIRB That will send your location to a receiver. Your standard GPS device just tells YOU where you are (presuming you can read it). I think he also had a satellite radio phone.

[Tuckerfan]

It looks like they’re giving up hope.

Brazil’s air force suspended its search for de Carli on Thursday, a spokesman said. The navy continued to patrol waters off the coast of Santa Catarina state but was considering halting operations.

“The chances (of survival) are increasingly slim and we are considering when to end the search effort,” Lieutenant Francisco Jose Cavalcante of the navy’s southern search unit in Rio Grande do Sul state told Reuters.

“It’s difficult to talk about survival. There have been cases of shipwrecked people having lived for four or five days at sea,” Cavalcante said.

NPR did an interview with a cluster-ballooning expert, and he didn’t think that the priest had thought things out very well.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

An AP report today says Brazilian police have, through DNA tests on the remains, confirmed the body they found is him.

[Kythereia]

@Rick

That’s what happens when you demote Christopher.

St. Christopher was demoted? checks Wikipedia Huh. Apparently he’s still a saint but he doesn’t have a feast day now. Wacky Roman Catholics.

It’s possibly some very confused angels are watching a guy with a halo and helium balloons cheerfully zipping past right now…

[gigi]

Look farther down in MPSIMS–they found the body.

[Autolycus]

So I guess the song “on Eagle’s Wings,” where it goes:

and He will lift you up, on eagle’s wings
bear you up, on the breath of dawn

… is not meant to be taken literally.

RIP crazy, exciting priest.