Felix Baumgartner: Extreme sports pioneer dies in tragic paragliding accident in central Italy

Extreme sports icon Felix Baumgartner, celebrated for his daring feats and record-breaking skydives, has died at age 56 after a tragic paragliding accident in central Italy.

According to officials, Baumgartner lost control of his motorised paraglider while flying over Porto Sant’Elpidio, a coastal town in the Marche region, and plunged to the ground near a hotel’s swimming pool.

A woman on the ground was reportedly injured in the incident, though her injuries are not considered life-threatening.

The reason for the accident is still unknown.

The local mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, said reports suggested he may have suffered a sudden medical issue mid-air.

He offered the town’s condolences over the death of a “symbol of courage and passion for extreme flights.”

Only hours before the fatal paragliding crash, Baumgartner shared a photo on his Instagram from an airfield.

“Too much wind,” he captioned the photo.

In October 2012, Baumgartner captured international attention when he leapt from a balloon 38km above Earth’s surface, becoming the first person to skydive faster than the speed of sound, which is generally greater than 1100km/h.

The record-setting descent took place over Roswell, New Mexico, where he accelerated to more than 1343km/h.

Remarkably, this feat coincided with the 65th anniversary of American aviator Chuck Yeager’s historic breaking of the sound barrier on October 14, 1947.

- With Reuters