Felix Baumgartner's tragic final post just hours before his death shows skydiver preparing for fatal paragliding ride
Tributes have poured in after the Austrian daredevil, 56, was tragically killed when his motored paraglider crashed in Italy on Thursday.
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Baumgartner, famed for hurtling 24 miles to Earth on a live stream in 2012, reportedly fell ill while flying in the sky around Porto Sant-Elpidio.
The renowned extreme sportsman then crashed into a hotel swimming pool and was killed immediately.
A worker was also taken hospital with neck injuries after being struck in the accident.
And fans hailed Baumgartner on social media following the sad news of his death.
Eerily, his own final moments online saw him prepare for what turned out to be his fatal last flight.
In one post on Instagram, Baumgartner uploaded a video showing him working on the paraglider.
The ace dug into his toolbox to make several adjustments to the motor at the back of the glider.
While in another photo, posted on his Instagram story, Baumgartner revealed the blustery conditions on the day, declaring: 'Too much wind.'
His tragic death came 13 years after soaring 24 miles into the air using a helium balloon.
Watched by millions on a livestream backed by Red Bull, Baumgartner then threw himself into the void before hurtling back to Earth at record-breaking speeds.
Skydiver Felix Baumgartner recalls his historic jump from space
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The ace hit a top speed of Mach 1.25, or 843mph, making him the first person to break the sound barrier outside a vehicle.
Reflecting on his feat years later, Baumgartner said: 'I wanted to be the first human outside of an aircraft breaking the sound barrier.
'It's very difficult to a perfect exit, do not over-rotate, there's no air to use to slow down.
'First 25 seconds it looked like everything's under control. Then after 34 seconds I hit Mach 1 and broke the speed of sound. That was our goal.
'I was mentally prepared to spin. I started, it got faster. There was no protocol. Then it really ramped up. It wasn't about breaking records any more, it was about survival.
'(In the end) I was happy. Even the landing was perfect.'
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