Prayers Pouring In For Legendary Skydiver Dead At 56
The sports and entertainment world lost an iconic skydiver and BASE jumper this week as record-setter Felix Baumgartner lost his life in an accident.
Baumgartner was flying a motorized paraglider in Italy when he fell ill and crashed the craft into a hotel swimming pool. A woman suffered an injured neck, but is expected to recover.
Tragically, the accident killed Baumgartner. He was 56 years old.
Baumgartner was one of the world's premier BASE jumpers, famously setting a world record for the longest jump in history back in 2012.
News of Baumgartner's death has led to tributes pouring in from around the world.:
"All I think of is I would sneeze for sure and then I'm so screwed. RIP some people are just build different," one user wrote on X.
"This sucks. His Red Bull jump was one of the best marketing campaigns of all time," wrote another.
"Damn I remember being hyped watching this jump live. It was a crazy record to make and break some. RIP."
"May he rest in peace. I still remember waking up as a kid and seeing him on every single news station for a few days. Honestly? Happy he was still doing what made him happy. Sucks he had to go out like this but rest in peace dude."
"I remember we watched the jump live 13 years ago. We were cheering loudly and celebrating. RIP Felix."
For years, Baumgartner gained publicity and mass acclaim through some incredible feats such as skydiving across the English channel, jumping 95 feet from the iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, and BASE jumping from the 91st floor of the Taipei 101 building.
On October 14, 2012, Baumgartner dropped over 127,000 feet from the stratosphere, falling nearly 120,000 feet before parachuting for the rest of it. His altitude record would be broken two years alter.
Baumgartner's BASE jumping abilities earned him numerous awards and accolades between 2012 and 2013.
Outside of his career as a jumper, Baumgartner tried his hand at a number of other sports as well. He won a professional boxing match when he was younger and competed in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring with Audi Motorsport in 2014.
Our hearts go out to Baumgartner's family and loved ones.Prayers Pouring In For Legendary Skydiver Dead At 56 first appeared on The Spun on Jul 18, 2025
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
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