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Business Standard
6 days ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
Fearless Felix, skydiver who jumped from space, dies in paragliding crash
Felix Baumgartner, whose leap from the edge of space redefined the limits of human daring, has died at 56 in a tragic paragliding accident in central Italy, The daredevil Austrian skydiver leaves behind a legacy of etched in adrenaline and awe. The fatal crash occurred on Thursday, July 17, near Porto Sant'Elpidio, a seaside town on Italy's Adriatic coast. According to Italian broadcaster RAI and news agency Ansa, Baumgartner was piloting a motorised paraglider around 4 pm when he reportedly experienced physical discomfort and lost control of the craft. He crashed into the swimming pool of a local hotel and was declared dead at the scene. Italian firefighters confirmed the paraglider struck the side of the pool. An employee of the hotel was also hit during the fall and suffered minor neck injuries, according to Italian media. The specific cause of the loss of control has not yet been disclosed. Baumgartner's longtime partner, Romanian television presenter Mihaela Rădulescu, was present in the village at the time of the accident and has since been informed of his death, Sky Sports Austria reported. Porto Sant'Elpidio's mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, confirmed the incident and paid tribute to Baumgartner in a public statement. 'Our community is deeply affected by the tragic disappearance of Felix Baumgartner, a figure of global prominence, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight,' he said. Who was Felix Baumgartner? Popularly known as 'Fearless Felix', Baumgartner hailed from Salzburg, Austria. Born on April 20, 1969, he began skydiving at a young age and trained as a paratrooper in the Austrian military. Baumgartner built a reputation on high-risk, high-precision feats. In 1999, he made the world's lowest base jump, from the arm of Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue, and the same year completed the highest building jump from Malaysia's Petronas Towers. In 2003, he crossed the English Channel in freefall using a carbon-fibre wingsuit. His career was defined not only by records but by his relentless push against the boundaries of flight and human endurance. Skydiving from the edge of space Baumgartner rose to fame on October 14, 2012, when he leapt from a pressurised capsule suspended 128,100 feet (39,045 meters) above Earth by a helium balloon. The Red Bull Stratos project saw him become the first human to break the sound barrier in freefall, reaching a top speed of 843.6 mph, about 1.25 times the speed of sound, before safely parachuting into the New Mexico desert. Broadcast live to millions, the nine-minute descent broke multiple world records, including the highest-ever manned balloon flight, the highest parachute jump, and the fastest freefall. At one point during the fall, Baumgartner entered a flat spin while still supersonic, spinning uncontrollably for 13 seconds before recovering. A record-breaking moment of humility The stunt was supervised by Joe Kittinger, a retired US Air Force officer and previous record-holder, who served as an advisor on the mission. 'When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble,' Baumgartner said afterwards. 'You don't think about breaking records anymore, you don't think about gaining scientific data — the only thing that you want is to come back alive.' Though his altitude record was surpassed in 2014 by Google executive Alan Eustace, the 2012 Red Bull Stratos jump remains one of the most iconic moments in modern extreme sports. He is survived by Rădulescu, his family, and a global community of fans, aviators, and extreme sports enthusiasts who viewed him as the embodiment of fearless ambition.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Felix Baumgartner: Extreme athlete who jumped from edge of space dies after paragliding crash
Felix Baumgartner, the extreme athlete who once jumped from the edge of space, has died in a paragliding crash in Italy. The 56-year-old Austrian lost control of his motorised paraglider while flying over Porto Sant'Elpidio in the central Marche region. He then fell to the ground near the swimming pool of a hotel. The reasons for the accident were unclear. According to reports, he fell ill and lost control. During the fall, he is thought to have hit a hotel employee, who was taken to hospital with neck injuries, according to Sky Sports Austria. She was reportedly injured by a piece of debris that had been dislodged during the vehicle's impact. The mayor of Porto Sant'Elpidio, Massimiliano Ciarpella, offered the town's condolences for the death of "a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flights". Mr Baumgartner is best known for his skydive from the edge of space in 2012. He ascended to 128,097ft in a pressurised capsule suspended beneath a giant helium balloon. He then jumped out, freefalling for four minutes and 19 seconds before opening his parachute. He made the historic jump over Roswell, New Mexico, reaching a peak speed of over 833mph (1,343kph). Mr Baumgartner's altitude record stood until 2014 when American computer scientist Alan Eustace did a jump from a height of 135,890ft.
Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- Times
Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner dies in paramotor accident
The Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner has died aged 56 after crashing into a swimming pool in a paragliding accident in Italy. Baumgartner achieved fame when he jumped 24 miles to Earth from a helium balloon in 2012. He reached an estimated top speed of Mach 1.25 (843.6mph) during the stunt, becoming the first person to break the sound barrier without vehicular power. According to Sky Sports Austria, Baumgartner was in Porto Sant'Elpidio, on Italy's Adriatic coast, when he got into difficulties while flying in a motorised paraglider. He suffered a 'sudden onset of illness', it was reported. He lost control and plunged into a hotel swimming pool that was being used by holidaymakers and children. Reports said he was killed instantly. Another report said preliminary investigations suggested he may have died before the crash. A hotel employee who was struck by the paramotor was taken to hospital with neck injuries. Baumgartner, wearing a spacesuit because of the lack of oxygen, took ten minutes to fall from the upper stratosphere in 2012. Only the last few thousand feet were negotiated with a parachute. The daredevil had completed thousands of freefall dives in his career, was not able to stop himself from tumbling over and over in the first few minutes after leaping from the balloon capsule. He was eventually able to right himself and landed safely on the ground in New Mexico. 'It's a very hostile environment up there. If the suit fails, your blood would start to boil and you'd die in 15 seconds,' he said at the time. 'The parachute could malfunction or you could flat spin, which pushes all your blood into your skull. If that happens, at a certain RPM your blood only has one way out — through your eyeballs.' Remembering the moment he opened the capsule door before the record-breaking jump, he said at a press conference afterwards: 'I looked up and the sky was black. 'It was completely silent. All you can hear is yourself breathing. It was very peaceful. Let me tell you, when I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble. 'You don't think about breaking records any more, you don't think about gaining scientific data; the only thing that you want is to come back alive.'
Sky News
7 days ago
- Sport
- Sky News
Felix Baumgartner: Extreme athlete who jumped from edge of space dies after paragliding crash
Felix Baumgartner, the extreme athlete who once jumped from the edge of space, has died in a paragliding crash in Italy. The 56-year-old Austrian lost control of his motorised paraglider while flying over Porto Sant'Elpidio in the central Marche region. He then fell to the ground near the swimming pool of a hotel. The reasons for the accident were unclear. According to reports, he fell ill and lost control. During the fall, he is thought to have hit a hotel employee, who was taken to hospital with neck injuries, according to Sky Sports Austria. She was reportedly injured by a piece of debris that had been dislodged during the vehicle's impact. The mayor of Porto Sant'Elpidio, Massimiliano Ciarpella, offered the town's condolences for the death of "a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flights". Mr Baumgartner is best known for his skydive from the edge of space in 2012. He ascended to 128,097ft in a pressurised capsule suspended beneath a giant helium balloon. He then jumped out, freefalling for four minutes and 19 seconds before opening his parachute. He made the historic jump over Roswell, New Mexico, reaching a peak speed of over 833mph (1,343kph). Mr Baumgartner's altitude record stood until 2014 when American computer scientist Alan Eustace did a jump from a height of 135,890ft.
Hindustan Times
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Who was Felix Baumgartner? Popular ‘jump from space' skydiver dies at 56
Felix Baumgartner is no more. The Austrian skydiver who made headlines with his 2012 supersonic jump from the stratosphere has died in a paragliding accident in Italy on July 17, reports Sky Sports Austria. He was 56. A trained BASE jumper and former military parachutist, Felix will be remembered for pushing the limits of human flight. From leaping off landmarks to breaking the sound barrier mid-air, his achievements were superior in the field of sports. Felix Baumgartner(Felix Baumgartner on Instagram) Who was Felix Baumgartner? A skydiver by profession, Baumgartner did the unthinkable in 2012, as he jumped from the edge of space. Reportedly, as part of the Red Bull Stratos mission, he leaped from 38.9 km (24.2 miles) above Earth, hurtling at a mind-bending 1,357.64 km/h (843.6 mph). This feat made him the first person to break the sound barrier without any engine. Trained with the Austrian military, Baumgartner's precision in landing with pinpoint accuracy was unmatched. Though in 2014, his altitude record was broken, the audacity of his jump will forever be remembered. To this day, that freefall is not just a record; it symbolizes courage. Also Read: 'I'm the guy who jumped from space:' Man opens up about his death-defying stunt The daredevil Felix Baumgartner Born in Salzburg, Austria, in 1969, it was at the age of 16 that Baumgartner began skydiving. His passion quickly caught the attention of Red Bull, and by 1988, he was performing aerial stunts for the brand. Reportedly, in the '90s, Felix started BASE jumping, leaping off cliffs, towers, and bridges with only seconds to deploy a parachute. Further, as years passed, Felix carried out rescue drills, flew helicopters, and chased adrenaline. From a fearless Austrian teen to becoming a global icon, his story proved that when you leap beyond fear, the sky is never the limit. Also Read: Felix Baumgartner's 24-mile skydive a boon for YouTube, social media How did Felix Baumgartner die? Felix Baumgartner passed away in a paragliding accident in Porto Sant'Elpidio, Italy. According to Sky Austria, he lost control of his motor paraglider and collided into a hotel swimming pool at around 4 p.m. He died on impact. The report further states that a hotel employee sustained minor neck injuries. Also, the cause of the malfunction is unknown. Check out his last Instagram post, shared just a day ago. FAQs Q1. Who was Felix Baumgartner? He was an Austrian skydiver. Q2. How did Felix Baumgartner die? He died in a paragliding accident in Porto Sant'Elpidio, Italy, after losing control. Q3. How old was Felix Baumgartner? He was 56 years old.
