Felix Baumgartner, the renowned extreme athlete who famously broke the sound barrier during his groundbreaking 24-mile stratospheric jump over a decade ago, has reportedly died in an accident along Italy’s eastern coast. He was 56.
According to Italian firefighters, a paraglider crashed into a swimming pool in Porto Sant Elpidio.
Massimiliano Ciarpella, the mayor of Porto Sant Elpidio, confirmed Baumgartner’s passing in a social media announcement.
“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,” stated Mr. Ciarpella.
Baumgartner, often called “Fearless Felix,” captivated the world in 2012 by becoming the first person to surpass the speed of sound in freefall.
Donning a pressurized suit, he ascended in a capsule carried by a massive helium balloon to an altitude of over 24 miles above New Mexico.
As part of the Red Bull Stratos team, the Austrian daredevil reached a peak speed of 843.6 mph, equivalent to 1.25 times the speed of sound, during his nine-minute descent.
“When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble, you do not think about of breaking records any more, you do not think of about gaining scientific data.
“The only thing you want is to come back alive,” he recounted after successfully landing in the New Mexico desert.
His jump also marked a record altitude for a skydiver, surpassing the previous record set in 1960 by Joe Kittinger, who served as an advisor to Baumgartner during his historic feat.
Baumgartner’s altitude record remained unbroken for two years until Google executive Alan Eustace established new benchmarks for the highest free-fall jump and greatest free-fall distance.
In 2012, millions worldwide watched a YouTube livestream of Baumgartner calmly giving a thumbs-up from his capsule high above Earth before deploying his parachute as he approached the ground. He raised his arms in victory after landing.
He later described traveling faster than sound as “hard to describe because you don’t feel it.”
“Sometimes we have to get really high to see how small we are,” he reflected.
