Felix Baumgartner, known for his extreme exploits, became world famous in 2012 for his jump from the stratosphere.
Photo: AFP Agency
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The renowned Austrian paratrooper Felix Baumgartner – worldwide famous for his jump from the stratosphere – died Thursday at age 56 after suffering an accident while practicing paragliding in the Italian region of the brands (center), local media reported.
The incident occurred when Baumgartner suffered some type of discomfort during the flight, which made him lose control of his team and rush into the pool of a tourist establishment in Porto Sant'elpidio, on the coast of Fermo. As a consequence of the fall, a young woman was injured, although not serious.
Baumgartner, known for his extreme exploits, became world famous in 2012 for his jump from the stratosphere, which allowed him to establish three world records, among them, to become the first man to break the sound barrier without the use of a vehicle.
I remember perfectly as that afternoon I was hooked seeing if it was possible for a human being to jump from the stratosphere and survive to tell it.
The feeling when he jumped into a vacuum from 39000 meters, I will never forget it.
DEP Felix Baumgartner. pic.twitter.com/LYIRIusmvc
— Magic Alonsou (@alomgc14) July 17, 2025
In October of that year, the Austrian starred in an attempt from 39 kilometers with which he landed in the New Mexico desert, in an event organized by one of his sponsors, Red Bull.
In addition to his jumps in great heights, the Austrian athlete had been a central figure in the world of extreme sports, making spectacular jumps from skyscrapers, bridges and natural formations.
Born in Salzburg (1969), Baumgartner was on vacation in Italy with his family and despite having retired from the great media feats, he continued to practice paragliding flights that he shared with his more than 200,000 followers on social networks.
In his latest publications, he showed some of his last flights in Paragic, a sport that always accompanied him and had even tattooed in his right arm with the phrase “born to fly.”
The accident has generated a deep shock in the international community of extreme sports. Italian authorities are investigating the exact causes of the accident, although the hypothesis of a full flight is the most likely.
Other possible circumstances are not ruled out, such as technical problems with the team, according to the same sources.
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