Here at TopMoving.ca, we encourage creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, and we heavily encourage do-it-yourself projects.
On our website, you can find a number of how-to guides outlining DIY projects, ranging from
pet-proofing your home to
cleaning out your garage.
However, you will not see the TopMoving team condone projects that are dangerous and potentially life-threatening, regardless of how cool they may seem.
The other day,
CBC News recorded footage of a man floating thousands of feet in the air, sitting on what appeared to be a lawn chair attached to a cluster of balloons. That man turned out to be twenty-six year old Daniel Boria, who reportedly spent upwards of $9,500 on helium and used about 120 oversized party balloons for the stunt. According to Boria, he also took skydiving lessons after not being able to find a pilot willing to assist him with the stunt. But what was his goal?
Boria told police that he planned to promote his cleaning products company by parachuting into the Calgary Stampede, a popular rodeo event in the area. His plans went awry, however, when he found himself at a higher altitude than several airplanes.
"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 said in
his interview with the Toronto Star. Once he realized he was too high, Boria "somersaulted out of the chair" and parachuted back to the ground. He claimed, "I watched below as the stampede and my dream drifted away."
Boria may not have been able to promote his business at the Calgary Stampede, but he
is lucky. Able to land in a field just outside of the city, he only suffered a minor injury to his ankle and was detained by police after being treated by medical personnel. It is unclear whether or not the chair has been found yet. Boria has been released on bail, though.
As for the police reaction, police chief Kyle Grant said: "It's the first time I've seen anything like it in my career. I usually see it on those crazy shows on TV of what not to do." We echo that sentiment, Mr. Grant.
*And no, that photo isn't a screenshot from Pixar's
Up.