Stratosphere jumper Felix Baumgartner dies in paragliding accident

Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian skydiver and BASE jumper who gained international fame for his 2012 supersonic freefall from the edge of space, has died at the age of 56 after a fatal paragliding accident in Italy, according to local media.

The incident occurred on Thursday near Porto Sant’Elpidio, a coastal town in Italy’s Marche region, where Baumgartner was vacationing with his family. According to La Repubblica, the athlete took off using a motorized paraglider but lost control mid-flight after suffering a sudden medical emergency.

Baumgartner crashed into a wooden structure next to a swimming pool at the Le Mimose holiday village and died shortly after impact. Emergency responders attempted resuscitation and called for a medical helicopter, but he was pronounced dead before he could be airlifted.

According to La Repubblica, a young hotel employee was injured after being struck by debris during the impact. She was hospitalized but is not in life-threatening condition.

Baumgartner’s partner was reportedly present in the area and was notified of his death, according to Austria’s APA news agency.

Baumgartner was widely known for his extreme stunts, most notably his October 14, 2012 jump from a capsule 24 miles (39 km) above Earth, launched into the stratosphere over New Mexico. During the Red Bull Stratos mission, he became the first human to break the sound barrier in freefall, reaching speeds of 843.6 mph (1,357.6 km/h). The jump set multiple records and was watched live by millions around the world.

Baumgartner was also renowned for his expertise in BASE jumping, a high-risk sport that involves leaping from fixed objects, such as buildings, antennas, bridges, or cliffs, and deploying a parachute shortly after the jump. The acronym “BASE” stands for Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth—the four categories of fixed objects used in the sport.