Extreme Athlete Felix Baumgartner, Famed for Supersonic Skydive, Dies in Paragliding Crash

World-renowned extreme athlete and daredevil Felix Baumgartner, celebrated for his 2012 supersonic skydive, has died at the age of 56 following a paragliding accident in Italy. Baumgartner, known as “Fearless Felix,” reportedly crashed into the side of a pool in Porto Sant’Elpidio on Thursday, according to local firefighters.

The Austrian adventurer gained international fame in October 2012 as part of the Red Bull Stratos project. In that historic feat, he became the first human to break the sound barrier without the aid of a vehicle, free-falling from a capsule over 24 miles above Earth. His record-setting jump from 127,852 feet saw him reach speeds of 843.6 mph.

Red Bull released a heartfelt statement on Thursday, paying tribute to their long-time collaborator. “You always sought out the greatest challenges and mastered them with sharp thinking, relentless precision and a good dose of courage,” a portion of the statement read, recognizing his meticulous approach and adventurous spirit. “You will stay with us as a colleague, a loyal companion, but most of all as a friend.”

Throughout his career, Baumgartner pushed the boundaries of human achievement, including setting a record for the lowest BASE jump from Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer statue in 1999 and an unauthorized jump from Taiwan’s Taipei 101 skyscraper in 2007, then the world’s tallest building. His legacy as a pioneer in extreme sports will endure.

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