Austrian extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner, 56, died in a paragliding accident on Thursday in the Italian village of Porto Sant’Elpidio on the Adriatic coast. According to Sky Austria, Baumgartner reportedly lost control of a motor paraglider due to a sudden onset of illness and crashed into a hotel pool. Baumgartner’s paraglider crashed into a wooden structure next to a swimming pool. The fire department and the Porto Sant’Elpidio Red Cross immediately responded to the scene. He died instantly, according to rescue units.
A hotel employee was hit in the accident by debris from the wreckage of the paraglider and was taken to the hospital with neck injuries. According to rescue teams, when the accident occurred, many people were near the swimming pool, including children, and the tragedy could have been much more serious. The Italian news agency Ansa reported that the incident occurred at approximately 4:00 p.m. local time.
Felix Baumgartner will forever be remembered as the man who jumped from space, from a capsule, nearly 40 kilometers (25 miles) above the New Mexico desert. On October 14, 2012, as part of the Red Bull Stratos project, Baumgartner rose 128,100 feet (39,045 meters), right to the edge of Earth and space, and skydived back to Earth successfully. The stunt remains the highest manned balloon flight and the highest parachute jump ever done. The Austrian’s career has also included many memorable moments as a parachutist, BASE jumper, race car driver, and as a commercial and aerobatic helicopter pilot.
Baumgartner achieved three aviation records worldwide from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale for the jump. Those records were achieving a maximum speed of Mach 1.25, or exactly 959 miles per hour (1,358 kilometers per hour), the highest jump at 127,852.4 feet (38,969.40 meters), and the longest free fall at 119,431.1 feet (36,402.6 meters). After the Stratos project, Baumgartner announced that he would be turning his back on professional sports and building a new career as a rescue helicopter pilot.
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“We are shocked and overwhelmed with sadness to hear the devastating news of our longtime friend Felix Baumgartner. Felix was ‘born to fly’ and was determined to push the limits. He was also smart, professional, thorough, and meticulous, never leaving anything to chance. He was generous, dedicating a significant amount of his time to helping others and inspiring many people. We remember Felix as a lovely person, devoted to his family and friends, to whom we send our heartfelt sympathy. Felix, you will be deeply missed,” Red Bull wrote on its social media.
Baumgartner’s partner was with him in the Italian village and has been informed of the 56-year-old’s death, the report added.
