Legendary daredevil Felix Baumgartner dies in paragliding crash

Who was Baumgartner

Felix Baumgartner was an Austrian extreme sports athlete who became famous for his daring high-altitude jumps, including from skyscrapers, helicopters, and hot-air balloons. He gained popularity in 1999 after jumping from the world's tallest bridge — the Millau Viaduct in France — as well as from the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, earning him recognition among BASE jumpers and parachuting enthusiasts.

Baumgartner's most well-known achievement was his jump from the stratosphere on October 14, 2012, as part of the Red Bull Stratos project. He ascended in a capsule to an altitude of nearly 39 kilometers and performed a freefall, accelerating to over 1,350 km/h — becoming the first person to break the sound barrier without the use of any vehicle. The event was broadcast worldwide and became not only a spectacular record but also an important experiment for science and aerospace medicine.

According to media reports, Baumgartner died in a crash during a paragliding flight in Italy. He fell into a swimming pool at a resort in Porto Sant'Elpidio. Italian authorities stated that he lost consciousness immediately upon impact and suffered cardiac arrest. It was also reported that a woman was injured during the incident after being struck by the athlete.

Earlier, we reported that the world's oldest marathon runner, Fauja Singh, passed away at the age of 114. His death was the result of an accident.