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News18
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Felix Baumgartner's Record-Breaking Skydiving Video Is Making Fans Nostalgic
Last Updated: In 2012, Felix Baumgartner jumped from a balloon 38 km above the Earth, becoming the first skydiver to break the sound barrier. Extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner died in a paragliding accident on July 17. The 56-year-old lost control of his motorised paraglider while he was flying over Porto Sant'Elpidio in central Italy. A woman was also injured as she was hit by Baumgartner. She was rushed to the hospital following the accident and did not suffer any substantial injuries. In the midst of the shocking news about Felix Baumgartner's demise, a video of his record-breaking skydive from the edge of space in 2012 is going viral once again on X (formerly Twitter). The clip shows the skydiver jumping off in a specially made suit. As per the Guardian, Baumgartner, also known as 'Fearless Felix" made the jump over New Mexico's Roswell. He became the first skydiver to break the sound barrier when he jumped from a balloon 38 km above the Earth. The caption on the clip read, 'In 2012, Felix Baumgartner broke 3 world records with this historic jump. He passed away today in a paragliding accident. Rest In Peace." Another comment read, 'Truly remarkable achievement Rest in Peace." One account recalled their meeting with the late skydiver. 'Met him, guy is a legend." Met him, guy is a legend.— Cameron S. McNaughton, PhD, CAQP, PEng, FI'09 (@earthstronaut) July 17, 2025 Felix Baumgartner's life A former Austrian military parachutist, Baumgartner made thousands of jumps from planes, bridges and skyscrapers. He also jumped from landmarks like the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Other feats included parachuting off Kuala Lumpur's Petronas Towers. Baumgartner had performed as a helicopter stunt pilot with the Flying Bulls shows across Europe for the past few years. As per the Guardian, the mayor of Porto Sant'Elpidio, Massimiliano Ciarpella, stated that reports indicated Baumgartner might have suffered a sudden medical issue mid-air. He offered condolences on behalf of the town for the demise of 'a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flights". view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
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First Post
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
How ‘Fearless Felix', who jumped from edge of space in 2012, died in paragliding crash
On Thursday, Felix Baumgartner died in a paragliding crash in Italy. Known as 'Fearless Felix' by fans, the Austrian extreme sports pioneer stunned the world over a decade ago when he became the first person to break the sound barrier during a dive from the edge of space. In 2012, he leapt from a capsule more than 39 kilometres above the Earth, securing his place in the record books with the high-risk jump read more In 2012, Baumgartner jumped from a capsule over 39 kilometres (24 miles) above the Earth. Red Bull Content Pool via Reuters/File Photo Austrian extreme sports figure Felix Baumgartner, best known for his record-setting skydive in 2012, died in a paragliding crash in Italy on Thursday. Known as 'Fearless Felix' by fans, he amazed the world when he became the first person to break the sound barrier in a dive from the edge of space more than ten years ago. In 2012, Baumgartner jumped from a capsule over 39 kilometres (24 miles) above the Earth, earning a place in the record books for the high-risk feat. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The 56-year-old lost control of his motorised paraglider while flying above Porto Sant'Elpidio in the Marche region. He crashed into a hotel swimming pool after falling from the air. Notably, Baumgartner had made thousands of jumps from planes, bridges, skyscrapers, and famous landmarks, including the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil. In 2003, he flew across the English Channel using a carbon fibre wing after being dropped from a plane. In recent years, he was part of the Flying Bulls team, performing helicopter stunts at air shows across Europe. After his record-breaking jump in 2012, Baumgartner said travelling faster than sound is 'hard to describe because you don't feel it.' 'Sometimes we have to get really high to see how small we are,' he said. But who exactly was Felix Baumgartner? How did he die? Let's take a look: Who was 'Fearless Felix' Baumgartner? Sporting a 'born to fly' tattoo, Baumgartner recorded the fastest freefall by leaping from the capsule and reaching a top speed of 1,357.6 kilometres (843.6 miles) per hour. Baumgartner died on Thursday in Italy, an emergency services official in the Marche region in the north of the peninsula told AFP. Baumgartner had made thousands of jumps from planes, bridges, skyscrapers, and famous landmarks. Reuters/File Photo His two childhood dreams were to be a skydiver and a helicopter pilot. 'I always had the desire to be in the air,' Austrian media quoted Baumgartner as saying. 'I climbed trees, I wanted to see the world from above.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Baumgartner said that his training for the legendary Red Bull Stratos jump, which ended safely in the desert of the US state of New Mexico, had begun 26 years earlier, in 1986, when he first jumped out of an aeroplane. In his youth, Baumgartner, who was born in the Austrian city of Salzburg, worked as a car mechanic and repaired motorcycles as he searched for ways to take to the sky. Having completed his first skydive in his teens, he improved his skills in the Austrian military. Over time, he built up an impressive portfolio of stunts. One of his first records was in 1999 for the lowest BASE dive from the hand of Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, which is 95 feet (29 metres) above the ground. BASE is an acronym for four things that can be jumped from: buildings, antennas, spans and earth. A licenced helicopter pilot and gas balloonist whose hobbies included boxing and climbing, he twice also set world records for the highest BASE jump from a building. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In 2003, he completed the first winged 'freefall crossing' of the English Channel, leaping out of an aircraft and flying the rest of the way to from England to Calais in northern France with a pair of carbon wings. Baumgartner died on Thursday in Italy. Red Bull Content Pool via Reuters/File Photo Though never quite in the limelight as much again as in 2012, Baumgartner continued to seek thrills throughout his life, flying loopings with helicopters and driving race cars. Dividing his time between Switzerland and the United States, Baumgartner commented avidly on politics and rubbed shoulders with Austrian far-right politicians in his native country. On social media, he mocked the fight against climate change, actively speaking out against Green parties, and LGBTQ rights. In 2016, he faced a storm of criticism when suggesting that anti-migration Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban should win a Nobel Peace Prize for protecting his country. 'Big dreams always win' Despite the dangers, the telegenic Baumgartner never seemed to fear having to pay the ultimate price for his passion – stressing that it was all about doing your homework. 'I hate it if someone calls me a thrill-seeker or an adrenaline junkie because I am not. I like the whole planning,' Baumgartner said ahead of the 2012 stunt. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'When you're standing there on top of the world, you become so humble… The only thing is you want to come back alive,' Baumgartner told reporters. Shortly before leaping, in footage beamed live around the world on a crackly radio link recalling Neil Armstrong's first words on the Moon, Baumgartner had said: 'Sometimes you have (to go) up really high to (understand) how small you are.' Baumgartner later said that he had done the record-setting jump to 'inspire people' and to 'leave something to the world'. In a 2022 documentary, he said that he would leave the world with a smile on his face, knowing that 'big dreams always win'. In recent years, he was part of the Flying Bulls team. Red Bull Content Pool via Reuters/File Photo How did Felix Baumgartner die? Baumgartner lost control of his motorised paraglider while flying over Porto Sant'Elpidio, a town in Italy's central Marche region. He fell near the swimming pool of a hotel. The exact cause of the accident is still not known. Italian firefighters who arrived at the scene said the paraglider had crashed into the side of a swimming pool in Porto Sant'Elpidio. The town's mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, said early reports pointed to the possibility of a sudden medical problem while in the air. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He also offered condolences, calling Baumgartner 'a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flights.' With inputs from AFP
Pink Villa
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Extreme sports icon ‘Fearless Felix' passes away at 56 after sudden glider crash in Italy
Best known as 'Fearless Felix' for his record-breaking 2012 stratospheric skydive, Felix Baumgartner passed at 56 after a paragliding mishap in Italy on July 18. While flying over Porto Sant'Elpidio this week, he suddenly fell ill, lost control of his motorized glider, and crashed into a hotel pool before suffering cardiac arrest, per reports. Baumgartner's death reverberates across the extreme-sports community, as he embodied the spirit of pushing human limits, whether plunging from 127,852 feet or soaring in carbon-fiber wings. From Christ the Redeemer to the edge of space Felix Baumgartner was never built for limits. Long before his world-famous jump, the extreme sports specialist built his reputation with death-defying BASE jumps. In 1999, he leapt 95 feet from Rio's Christ the Redeemer statue and later BASE-jumped the 91st floor of Taipei 101. He flew across the English Channel in carbon fiber wings and, in 2014, raced in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring with Audi Motorsport. Yet nothing eclipsed the Red Bull Stratos mission: on October 14, 2012, he ascended 24 miles into the stratosphere and became the first person to break the sound barrier in freefall. Per The Guardian, Felix reached 1,343 km/hr before gliding safely to Earth. His calm thumbs-up before the leap remains an iconic image of human daring. A legacy carried on by countless followers Baumgartner's Instagram feed—active until the day before his accident—burst with fans' tributes: 'Rest in peace Legend,' one wrote. At the same time, another recalled how his leap helped them become 'interested in Space and aviation.' One fan wrote: 'Reunited with mentor Joe Kittinger, fly high. RIP legend.' Another added: 'Absolutely surreal that his story is still online and he is no longer alive...' His flying exploits earned him numerous awards in 2012 and 2013, as well as roles as a helicopter stunt pilot with the Flying Bulls. Though his final flight ended in tragedy, his motto still resonates: 'Learn to love what you have been taught to fear,' according to WatchTime. He is mourned by his family, close friends, and a global community inspired by every record he shattered.
