A 27-year-old mother tragically plunged to her death during a paragliding incident after setting out to conquer her fear of flying.
Daniela Barrios, determined to confront her fears, had shared a photo on her social media account just before the fatal flight, expressing her readiness to tackle her flying phobia.
"Join me on my crazy things," her caption said. "Let's overcome a fear."
Accompanied by her pilot, Barrios embarked on her flight from the El Castillo mountain in the Quidío municipality of Calarcá in Colombia on Saturday afternoon, per the Daily Mail.
Tragically, during the flight over the Pradera Alta trail, she slipped from her seat, as confirmed by the Calarcá Fire Department.
The pilot, whose identity remains undisclosed, was unable to prevent the fall and had to continue the flight until a safe landing could be executed.
Eyewitnesses immediately alerted emergency services upon witnessing Barrios's fall from the paraglider. A search-and-rescue operation commenced around 3:00PM and concluded late into the night, with firefighters discovering Barrios's lifeless body.
"She did not show vital signs when she was found and was pronounced dead on the scene," reported Calarcá Fire Department commander, Captain Javier Arconde, as quoted by El Tiempo newspaper.
"Apparently, the young woman slipped from the seat where the co-pilot is sitting. The pilot had to follow his route because he had no way to stop, he was able to land well but she fell."
Barrios, who was also the owner of a lingerie line, leaves behind a seven-year-old son.
In another tragic story from South America, a Brazilian priest was attempting to raise money for charity when his world record attempt of being airborne using helium balloons ended in disaster.
Father Adelir Antonio de Carli, affectionately known as the 'balloon priest' of Brazil, set off from the port city of Paranagua on April 20, 2008.
Equipped with a parachute for safety, de Carli aimed to break the 19-hour record for the longest duration spent airborne, reported the Guardian.
Despite his background as a skydiver and extensive survival training, de Carli's ambitious attempt ended in tragedy.
With a GPS tracker and radio for communication with air traffic control, de Carli commenced his world record bid. Yet, after eight hours into the flight, the 41-year-old priest vanished from radar, triggering an intensive search operation involving aircraft, helicopters, and rescue teams.
Two days following his departure, remnants of balloons were sighted in the sea off Brazil's Santa Catarina state, marking the last known location of de Carli. Despite exhaustive efforts, his body was not recovered until months later in July, off the southeastern coast of Brazil.
"We were almost certain that it was the priest due to various elements, such as the clothes and material used in the balloon trip," commented Macae’s chief of police, Daniel Bandeira. "The DNA only confirmed our suspicions," as per Reuters.
Reports indicate that during his ill-fated journey, de Carli encountered difficulties with his GPS device and endured extreme cold. Despite reaching an altitude of 20,000 feet, he faced unexpected winds that diverted his course, ultimately leading to his tragic death.
