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Associated Press
Jul 17, 2025, 05:31 PM ET
MILAN -- Extreme jock Felix Baumgartner, the archetypal skydiver to autumn faster than the velocity of dependable during a 24-mile leap done the stratosphere much than a decennary ago, died successful a clang Thursday on the eastbound seashore of Italy, according to an official. He was 56.
Italian firefighters who responded said a paraglider crashed into the broadside of a swimming excavation successful the metropolis of Porto Sant Elpidio.
The city's mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, confirmed Baumgartner's decease successful a societal media post.
"Our assemblage is profoundly affected by the tragic disappearance of Felix Baumgartner, a fig of planetary prominence, a awesome of courageousness and passionateness for utmost flight," the politician said.
Baumgartner, known arsenic "Fearless Felix," stunned the satellite successful 2012 erstwhile helium became the archetypal quality to interruption the dependable obstruction with lone his body. He wore a pressurized suit and jumped from a capsule hoisted much than 24 miles (39 kilometers) supra Earth by a elephantine helium balloon implicit New Mexico.
The Austrian, who was portion of the Red Bull Stratos team, topped retired astatine 843.6 mph - the equivalent of 1.25 times the velocity of dependable - during a nine-minute descent.
"When I was lasting determination connected apical of the world, you go truthful humble, you bash not deliberation astir of breaking records anymore, you bash not deliberation of astir gaining technological data. The lone happening you privation is to travel backmost alive," helium said aft landing successful the eastbound New Mexico desert.
The altitude helium jumped from besides marked the highest-ever for a skydiver, shattering the erstwhile grounds acceptable successful 1960 by Joe Kittinger, who served arsenic an advisor to Baumgartner during his feat.
Baumgartner's altitude grounds stood for 2 years until Google enforcement Alan Eustace acceptable caller marks for the highest free-fall leap and top free-fall distance.
In 2012, millions watched YouTube's livestream arsenic Baumgartner coolly flashed a thumbs-up erstwhile helium came retired of the capsule precocious supra Earth and past activated his parachute arsenic helium neared the ground, lifting his arms successful triumph aft helium landed.
He aboriginal said traveling faster than dependable is "hard to picture due to the fact that you don't consciousness it."
"Sometimes we person to get truly precocious to spot however tiny we are," helium said.
