Rome: Felix Baumgartner, the daredevil Austrian who famously broke the sound barrier in a record-setting space jump, died on Thursday, July 17, following a tragic powered paragliding crash along Italy's eastern coast. He was 56.
The accident occurred in Porto Sant'Elpidio, where emergency services responded to a paraglider crash into a swimming pool. The firefighters confirmed that Baumgartner lost control of his powered hand glider before crashing. According to a report by The Daily Mail, he lost consciousness shortly after impact and died from a cardiac arrest.
A Woman Also Sustained Injury
As per the report, the crash also injured a woman who happened to be at the site. She was reportedly struck by Baumgartner during the accident and was immediately hospitalised. Fortunately, she did not suffer any major injuries.
Baumgartner’s death was confirmed by Porto Sant’Elpidio Mayor Massimiliano Ciarpella, who expressed his sorrow in a public post. “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 Baumgartner?
Baumgartner was known globally for his historic leap from the stratosphere in 2012, when he became the first human to break the sound barrier in freefall, without any engine power. The jump, conducted as part of the Red Bull Stratos project, saw him rise more than 24 miles (39 km) above New Mexico in a helium balloon before leaping in a pressurised suit.
During the nine-minute descent, he reached a peak speed of 843.6 mph, or 1.25 times the speed of sound. At one point, he entered a dangerous flat spin while still travelling at supersonic speed, spinning uncontrollably for 13 seconds.
Recalling the moment, Baumgartner had once said, “When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble... The only thing you want is to come back alive.”
