Austrian skydiver famous for breaking sound barrier dies during paragliding accident in Italy

An Austrian base jumper and skydiver renowned for his record-breaking jump from the stratosphere, died while paragliding in Italy on July 17.

Felix Baumgartner, 56, lost control of his paraglider and crashed into a hotel swimming pool in the coastal town of Porto Sant’Elpidio, AP reports.

Italy’s national broadcaster RAI reported that authorities are working to determine the exact cause of the crash.

Baumgartner, who had base jumped from landmarks like the Petronas Towers in Malaysia and the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, achieved international recognition in 2012 when he jumped from a balloon 38km above Earth wearing a specially made suit, becoming the first skydiver to break the sound barrier. His daring jump was broadcast live via streaming platforms like YouTube.

He made the historic jump over Roswell, New Mexico, reaching a peak speed of more than 1,343km/h, during a nine-minute descent on the 65th anniversary of the legendary American pilot Chuck Yeager’s flight shattering the sound barrier on 14 October 1947. The so-called Red Bull Stratos freefall took six years to plan as the team worked out every detail of the jump. “I hate it if someone calls me a thrillseeker or an adrenaline junkie because I am not. I like the whole planning,” Baumgartner said before the 2012 stunt.

The Austrian beverage giant Red Bull, which sponsored Baumgartner’s record-breaking feat as it is actively operating sporting events and sponsoring other sports, issued a statement stating in part, “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.”

“I’m standing there on top of the world outside of a capsule in space and in the stratosphere. I looked around the sky above me was completely black,” Baumgartner told CNN years after the jump. “I was really trying to inhale that moment.”

By Nazrin Sadigova