Canadian flew over Calgary in chair carried by balloons

A man who tied about 100 helium balloons to a garden chair and flew over the Canadian city of Calgary has been charged with 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.

Mr Boria said he "somersaulted out the chair" and parachuted down to safety after the balloons took him too high.

The whereabouts of the chair are unknown, Inspector Kyle Grant said.

Mr Boria injured his ankle after landing in a field just outside the city on Sunday 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," Mr 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."

Several people took to social media after spotting Mr Boria's publicity attempt, including local graphic designer Tom Warne, who tweeted: "Hope it's not a Stampede balloon vendor out of control".

Mr Boria has been charged with mischief causing danger to life and could face further charges.

"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."

Mr 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 (£6,000) worth of helium.

Mr 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."

He has been released on bail.