Video, photos: Man flies for miles in a lawn chair buoyed by 100 helium balloons

In a scene reminiscent of Pixar's "Up," a British man flew for 15 miles over South Africa in a lawn chair, buoyed by just 100 helium balloons.

Tom Morgan, of Bristol, England, commandeered the sturdy lawn chair during its brief Friday flight, which was sponsored by his travel company The Adventurists.

A series of setbacks, including high winds and exploding balloons, delayed the absurdist stunt, initially intended to take place in the skies over Botswana.

Those early attempts used up most of the helium and balloons, but "there was just enough time and supplies for one last crack," said a statement on The Adventurists' Facebook.

Tom Morgan, of Bristol, England, soared 8,000 feet above South Africa in a lawn chair attached to 100 helium balloons on Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. Tom Morgan, of Bristol, England, soared 8,000 feet above South Africa in a lawn chair attached to 100 helium balloons on Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. Photo: AP Video Screen Grab Photo: AP Video Screen Grab Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Video, photos: Man flies for miles in a lawn chair buoyed by 100 helium balloons 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

Morgan's last-ditch effort succeeded, and the 38-year-old was privy to a bird's-eye view of the South African desert from 8,000 feet above the ground. To get down, Morgan simply popped the multicolor balloons.

The Adventurists plan to take the stunt public in the coming years, according to a statement on the company website, by applying what they learned during Morgan's brief flight to a three-day, long-distance balloon race.

The travel company previously held a two-month, 13,000-mile car race through Eastern Europe and West Asia.

"We're fighting to make the world less boring," explains a mission statement on The Adventurists website.

Morgan's hardly the first to take to the skies via helium balloons; the practice is actually somewhat of an extreme sport, called "cluster ballooning." One of the most famous such flights was undertaken by American truck driver Larry Walters. On July 2, 1982, Walters took flight with a lawn chair and 45 helium balloons. He expected to soar a few hundred feet, but instead soar 16,000 feet above Long Beach, California. The 33-year-old miraculously survived.

Read Michelle Robertson’s latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.