Felix Baumgartner’s death at 56 has sparked tributes from fans and loved ones. According to reports, the extreme sports icon was involved in a fatal paragliding crash in central Italy.
Felix Baumgartner cause of death explained
Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian adventurer famously known for his supersonic freefall from the stratosphere in 2012, has reportedly died at age 56. Authorities in Italy confirmed that Baumgartner lost his life following a paragliding crash in Porto Sant’Elpidio, a seaside town along the central Italian coast.
According to local police, the fatal incident occurred on Thursday when Baumgartner, flying a motorized paraglider, lost control midair and crash-landed into the swimming pool of a hotel. Eyewitnesses, including individuals in the pool at the time, watched as he fell.
Although the precise cause of the crash has not been officially confirmed, preliminary reports from local officials suggest that he may have suffered an abrupt medical complication mid-flight (via The Guardian).
Firefighters who responded to the scene confirmed the paraglider had struck the pool and Porto Sant’Elpidio’s mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, publicly acknowledged Baumgartner’s passing on social media. The mayor expressed condolences to Baumgartner’s loved ones and described the late athlete as “a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flights.”
Baumgartner became a global sensation in October 2012 with his record-breaking space jump as part of the Red Bull Stratos project. Lifted by a helium balloon to more than 24 miles above Earth, he leapt from the stratosphere wearing a pressurized suit and reached an astonishing speed of 843.6 mph.
The nine-minute descent over the New Mexico desert included a dangerous 13-second flat spin at supersonic velocity, which he managed to recover from before safely parachuting to the ground. In more recent years, Baumgartner performed aerial stunts across Europe with the Flying Bulls team.
Originally reported by Disheeta Maheshwari on ComingSoon.
