And I will raise him up....

The Reverend Adelir Antonio de Carli remains missing presumed dead, nine days after lifting off from the port city of Paranaguá in Brazil, strapped to hundreds of helium-filled balloons. He is the small dark dot at the bottom of the colourful balloons in the above picture. He was wearing a helmet, an aluminum thermal flight suit, waterproof coveralls and a parachute and was seeking to raise money for breaking the 19-hour record for the longest time in-flight with party balloons. I find it difficult to feel much sympathy for someone who self-indulgently and wrecklessly endangers their life to break a record that is so narrow, insignificant and pointless. I think the next time the parish needs to raise money they might have a cake stall...