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
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Hamilton holds hands up after 'unacceptable' qualifying
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium: Lewis Hamilton blamed himself and said he would apologise to Ferrari for an "unacceptable" performance on Saturday after he suffered another qualifying flop, his second in two days, at the Belgian Grand Prix. The 40-year-old seven-time world champion, who was eliminated in first sprint qualifying on Friday when he spun at the chicane, repeated his disappointment as he qualified in a forlorn 16th place for Sunday's race. Team-mate Charles Leclerc qualified third after Hamilton had exceeded track limits in Q1 and had his best lap deleted. "It was the same today as it was for the rest of the weekend," said Hamilton. "We made some changes and the car didn't feel terrible. "It was tough for us. We had to put on our set of tyres just to try to get through Q1 so it's not great. "From my side, I made a mistake so I've got to look internally and I've got to apologise to my team because that is just unacceptable to be out in both Q1s. It's a very poor performance from myself. "I will start from where I am and see what I can do to achieve the best I can with what we have. This season has been a tricky one." Hamilton has won the Belgian race five times including inheriting victory last year when his then-Mercedes team-mate George Russell was disqualified after winning in an underweight car. Leclerc was upbeat and surprised to be third on the grid. "I'm very happy today and it's strange to say that because it's still three-tenths and it's only third place, but I did not expect it,' he said. "I think we thought we were quite a lot more behind (the McLarens). We knew we had something more in the car and obviously we had the upgrade this weekend, but we still struggled yesterday. "I had a really good lap and I'm happy with the car. It takes time to maximise the upgrades that we put on the car.2 Hamilton's success last year was the last of his record 105 wins from 368 race starts in arguably the most successful career of all time, but since leaving Mercedes for Ferrari this year he has struggled and has yet to claim his first podium for the Italian team.
New Straits Times
5 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
10 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
