Overview
- He launched from Paranagua, Brazil, in April 2008 tethered to 1,000 helium balloons to attempt a 19-hour aloft record and raise funds for a chapel for lorry drivers.
- He carried a helmet, thermal flight suit, waterproof gear, a parachute, a radio and a GPS, but reported difficulty with navigation equipment during the flight.
- Before losing contact after about eight hours, he relayed that he felt very cold and was losing height, and debris balloons were spotted at sea two days later.
- Despite early optimism from a local fire chief about his survival chances, extensive air and sea searches did not locate him.
- Two tugboat workers found a body in July 2008 that Macae police later identified as Father Adelir Antonio de Carli through DNA testing, allowing his family to proceed with burial.