Space jumper Felix Baumgartner dies in paragliding crash in Italy
The 56-year-old, who made international headlines in 2012 for his historic skydive from the edge of space, crashed in the seaside resort of Porto Sant'Elpidio on the Adriatic coast, they said.
The fire brigade said Baumgartner crashed into the swimming pool of a municipal accommodation block at about 4pm (1400 GMT) and died instantly. It is suspected that he fainted and lost control of his motorised paraglider.
The extreme sportsman fell on a hotel employee, who was taken to hospital with injuries, the fire brigade added.
The Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport said the employee did not sustain serious injuries.
According to Italian media, several guests were in the hotel pool at the time but were not injured in the accident.
Baumgartner became world famous in 2012 when he became the first person to reach the speed of sound in free fall during a jump from the stratosphere.
Millions of people watched live on television and online as he plummeted back to Earth, reaching a top speed of more than 1,300 kilometres per hour and setting the record for the highest manned balloon flight and the highest parachute jump.
Baumgartner was reportedly on holiday in Italy with his wife at the time of his death.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Liverpool beaten 4-2 by AC Milan in Hong Kong pre-season friendly
HONG KONG: Former Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek scored as Premier League champions Liverpool were beaten 4-2 by AC Milan today in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong. Liverpool, with record signing Florian Wirtz making his first start, dominated possession under the closed roof at Kai Tak Stadium but a shaky defence was punished for all four Milan goals. Rafael Leao opened the scoring for the Italian side on 10 minutes with Dominik Szoboszlai's superb strike equalising 16 minutes later to make it 1-1 at half-time But Loftus-Cheek, six minutes after the break, and two goals from substitute Noah Okafor, either side of Cody Gakpo's late header, gave AC Milan the victory. Liverpool's Hong Kong fans vastly outnumbered those supporting AC Milan in the 49,704 sellout crowd. They paid a heartfelt tribute to Diogo Jota, who passed away earlier this month in a car crash. Flowers were laid by Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish in front of fans, who responded by holding up a mosaic spelling out "DJ20" in honour of Jota's number 20 shirt, which has been retired by the club. Leao, too, remembered his fellow Portuguese player Jota as he offered a silent prayer and formed the number 20 with his fingers after scoring the opener. Wirtz played 45 minutes and looked comfortable directing operations, showing hints of why Bayer Leverkusen were paid a reported British transfer record US$150 million (RM633 million) for the German playmaker. Other new Liverpool signings left-back Milos Kerkez and right-back Jeremie Frimpong both came on as substitutes at half-time. But Striker Hugo Ekitike, who was signed from Entracht Frankfurt for a reported US$92 million, was not ready to take part, having only flown in to join his new teammates two days earlier. Liverpool started without a recognised central striker as Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, who have both been linked to move away from Anfield, were left out of the matchday squad. Liverpool will now fly to Japan to face Yokohama F-Marinos on Wednesday.
The Sun
7 hours ago
- The Sun
Malaysia monitors Thailand-Cambodia conflict ahead of SEA Games
MALAYSIA is closely monitoring the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia as preparations for the upcoming SEA Games continue, according to Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh. She confirmed that the government, through the Foreign Ministry, is assessing the situation but assured that Malaysia's sports contingent plans remain unchanged. 'We are, of course, worried about the trend but we know Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is doing his best to talk to both countries for a ceasefire. Of course, we definitely want peace in this arena,' Yeoh said. She expressed hope for a swift resolution ahead of the SEA Games, scheduled for December in Thailand. The National Sports Council (NSC) is coordinating with the Foreign Ministry for updates, with no adjustments made to Malaysia's participation plans so far. Yeoh spoke after opening the 2025 National Combat Sports Championships at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil, where 2,000 athletes competed in silat, wushu, karate-do, muay thai, and wrestling. She emphasized the need for combat sports to receive support on par with Olympic-status sports. Separately, Yeoh welcomed the Olympic Council of Malaysia's (OCM) proposal for a National Sports Trust Fund to reduce reliance on government funding. 'Sports associations need to have their own initiative to find funds. They can't depend on the government,' she said, highlighting private sector involvement, including Chery Malaysia, as a positive step. - Bernama
Barnama
8 hours ago
- Barnama
Thailand-Cambodia Conflict: SEA Games Preparations Remain On Track
KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 (Bernama) — Malaysia will continue to monitor the developments of the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia ahead of the SEA Games scheduled to be held this December, said Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh. She said the government, through the Foreign Ministry, is closely monitoring the situation but so far, there has been no change in the country's sports contingent planning. 'We are, of course, worried about the trend but we know Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is doing his best to talk to both countries for a ceasefire. Of course, we definitely want peace in this arena. bootstrap slideshow 'And we know the SEA Games (to be hosted by Thailand) is coming up in December. We do hope that this matter can be resolved amicably and also speedily. 'For the National Sports Council (NSC), we are always following not just the news coming in, but we also have to listen to the Foreign Ministry for guidance and nothing has changed (for Malaysia),' she said after opening the 2025 National Combat Sports Championships held at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil. The Combat Sports Championships meet brings together 2,000 athletes from all over the country who compete in the five main disciplines of combat sports, namely silat, wushu, karate-do, muay thai and wrestling. Hannah stressed that combat sports need to be given support equivalent to Olympic-status sports and the ministry is committed to helping in the development of the discipline. In another development, she said the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) views the proposal by the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) to establish a National Sports Trust Fund to reduce dependence on government funds as a positive step. 'As I stated, sports associations need to have their own initiative to find funds. They can't depend on the government.
