Austrian extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner, who achieved worldwide fame for his record-breaking 2012 jump from the edge of space, died Thursday, July 17, in a paragliding accident along Italy’s Adriatic coast. He was 56.
The incident occurred in Porto Sant’Elpidio, a coastal town in Italy’s central Marche region, when Baumgartner lost control of his motorized paraglider and crashed into a hotel swimming pool. Local authorities reported that part of his paraglider struck a female hotel employee, who sustained neck injuries but was not seriously hurt.
Porto Sant’Elpidio Mayor Massimiliano Ciarpella confirmed the death in a social media post, expressing condolences for the loss of what he described as a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight. Italian media reports suggested Baumgartner may have suffered a sudden medical issue while airborne, though the exact cause of the accident remains under investigation.
Hours before the fatal crash, Baumgartner had posted an image on his Instagram story with the caption “Too much wind,” according to multiple reports. The Austrian daredevil, known by the nickname “Fearless Felix,” had been actively sharing videos of his paragliding flights on social media platforms.
Baumgartner achieved global recognition in October 2012 when he successfully completed his stratospheric jump as part of the Red Bull Stratos project. Wearing a specially designed pressurized suit, he leaped from a capsule carried by a helium balloon approximately 24 miles above Earth over Roswell, New Mexico. The jump set multiple world records, including the highest skydive on record and the first time a human broke the sound barrier in freefall.
During the nine-minute descent, Baumgartner reached a maximum speed of 843.6 mph, equivalent to 1.25 times the speed of sound. At one point during the jump, he entered a potentially dangerous flat spin while traveling at supersonic speeds, spinning for 13 seconds before regaining control. The feat was accomplished on the 65th anniversary of Chuck Yeager’s historic flight breaking the sound barrier in 1947.
Following his successful landing in the eastern New Mexico desert, Baumgartner reflected on the experience. “When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble,” he said. He noted that at that moment, breaking records and gathering scientific data became secondary to simply wanting to survive the jump.
Born in Salzburg, Austria, on April 20, 1969, Baumgartner began skydiving at age 16 and later served as a parachutist in the Austrian military. He extended his skills as part of the Austrian military’s demonstration and competition team before beginning exhibition work for Red Bull in 1988.
Throughout his career, Baumgartner accomplished numerous record-breaking stunts from iconic landmarks worldwide. In 1999, he set the world record for the highest parachute jump from a building when he base jumped from the 1,483-foot Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He also completed what became known as the lowest base jump ever from the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In 2003, Baumgartner made headlines by becoming the first person to cross the English Channel in freefall, using specially developed carbon fiber wings after jumping from an aircraft. He continued performing aerial stunts in recent years as a helicopter pilot with The Flying Bulls, participating in aviation shows across Europe.
The 2012 stratospheric jump required six years of planning and preparation. The project involved a helium balloon weighing 3,708 pounds and a pressurized suit capable of withstanding temperatures as low as minus 97.6 degrees Fahrenheit. The stunt was broadcast live on YouTube, attracting millions of viewers who watched as Baumgartner gave a thumbs-up before exiting the capsule and later raised his arms in victory after landing.
Baumgartner’s altitude record from the 2012 jump stood for two years until Google executive Alan Eustace set new marks for the highest free-fall jump and greatest free-fall distance. However, Baumgartner remained the first person to break the sound barrier in free fall without the aid of an aircraft.
Red Bull, which sponsored many of Baumgartner’s exploits throughout his career, confirmed his death and released a statement expressing shock and sadness. The company described him as someone who was born to fly and determined to push limits, while also being smart, professional, and meticulous in his approach to extreme sports.
Austrian authorities, including the country’s foreign ministry, confirmed the reports of Baumgartner’s death to international news agencies. The extreme athlete had described his passion for adventure by saying he belonged to the air and was born for the emotions that came with extreme flight.
