Legendary skydiver Felix Baumgartner, best known for free fall from space, dies in paragliding accident

Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian skydiver best known for his record-setting dive from space, died in a paragliding accident in Italy Thursday, according to Italian officials. He was 56. 

Baumgartner was reportedly flying a motorized paraglider in the coastal town of Porto Sant’Elpidio in the Marche region of Italy, where he was said to have crashed into a hotel pool. 

According to Sky Austria, he fell ill suddenly before the crash. A hotel employee was also taken to a hospital after sustaining injuries in the accident, the report stated. 

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Baumgartner’s reps. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a representative for RedBull said, “We are shocked and overwhelmed with sadness to hear the devastating news of our longtime friend Felix Baumgartner.

“Felix was ‘born to fly’ and was determined to push the limits. He was also smart, professional, thorough and meticulous, never leaving anything to chance. He was generous, giving much of his time to help and inspiring so many people.
 
“We remember Felix as a lovely person, devoted to his family and friends, to whom we send our heartfelt sympathy. Felix, you will be deeply missed.”

The mayor of the town, Massimiliano Ciarpella, confirmed the local reports in a post on Facebook. 

“Our community is deeply affected by the tragic passing of Felix Baumgartner, a figure of global significance, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight. He was flying right over our city when a sudden illness today took him from us,” Ciarpella’s post said, according to a translation.

“Porto Sant’Elpidio stands in solidarity with his family and loved ones in this time of sorrow. On behalf of the municipal administration and all citizens, I express our most heartfelt condolences for this immeasurable loss.”

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Baumgartner had posted several videos to Instagram stories of himself paragliding in Italy in the week leading up to his death. In an eerie final post shared Thursday, he snapped a photo of a windsock with the caption “too much wind.” 

Born April 20, 1969, in Salzburg, Austria, Baumgartner established himself as a skilled and fearless skydiver, base jumper, daredevil and much more. On Oct. 14, 2012, he did what no one else had ever attempted. 

He fell from space. 

Baumgartner set three world records, including the highest free fall and highest crewed balloon flight. And he became the first person to travel faster than the speed of sound during a free fall when he took a giant helium balloon over New Mexico and jumped from an altitude of 127,852 feet. 

He reached speeds of 843.6 mph, or the equivalent of Mach 1.25, 1.25 times the speed of sound, The Associated Press reported at the time. He was quite literally supersonic. 

According to Baumgartner’s bio on RedBull’s website, he broke 14 world records, including the lowest base jump, which he accomplished in 2011 when he leaped from the hand of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil. 

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