Like Pixar’s ‘Up’ Dan Boria takes flight over Calgary in a chair tied to 100 balloons
Dan Boria high over Calgary in his “balloon chair” photo/ screenshot YouTube
A Canadian flew over Calgary in chair carried by 100 balloons, drifting through the air and earning a citiation for “causing mischief.”
Daniel Boria, 26, told police he was planning on parachuting into the Calgary Stampede, a rodeo event, to promote his cleaning-products company. Boria claims he “somersaulted out the chair” and parachuted down to safety after the balloons took him too high.
The whereabouts of the garden chair are unknown, police chief Kyle Grant said.
Boria did injure his ankle after landing in a field just outside the city, but no one else was hurt. He was detained after receiving medical attention.
“I was sitting in a lawn chair looking down through the clouds at 747 airplanes and looking up to a cluster of helium balloons,” Boria told the Toronto Star.
“I rose to a certain altitude and the winds got pretty intense. I was somersaulting out the chair and it felt like minus 30. I watched below as the stampede and my dream drifted away.”
The publicity stunt drew a lot of attention, especially on social media, where many folks made comparisons to Pixar’s film Up, in which an elderly man used thousands of balloons to carry his home away.
Bornia has been charged with mischief causing danger to life and could face further charges. He was released on bail.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen anything like it in my career,” Inspector Grant told reporters. “I usually see it on those crazy shows on TV of what not to do.”
Grant said there was “still the question of the chair being up in the air”, adding there had been no reports of it being found.
The stunt reportedly used 120 over-sized party balloons and $9,500 worth of helium.
Boria said he sought training as a skydiver beforehand and only turned to helium after being unable to find a pilot willing to support his efforts.
“I did anticipate they would be a little upset,” he said of the police reaction. “It’s already worse than I thought it would be.”
