Felix Baumgartner 'was dead BEFORE he hit the ground' near kids playing in pool
Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner - who rose to fame in 2012 after jumping from the edge of space - is thought to have died after suffering a cardiac arrest mid-air while paragliding in Italy.
The sportsman, 56, died at around 4pm Thursday, July 17 with local reports saying his craft landed in a swimming pool at a holiday resort in Porto Sant'Elpidio, Fermo, leaving one hotel employee on the ground injured.
Felix is understood to have complained of feeling unwell while his paraglider was airborne, losing control of the craft shortly after. The woman hit by his paraglider was rushed to hospital, but is not in a serious condition.
The swimming pool was reportedly crowded at the time of the incident, teeming with playing children who were forced to witness the sport star's tragic death, as per Repubblica. According to Italian local media, it is thought Baumgartner suffered cardiac arrest mid-air, reports MailOnline.
Baumgartner had taken off from Fermo, but while flying over the coast, for reasons still under investigation, he lost control of the powered hang glider. After the crash, he had lost consciousness and went into cardiac arrest.
Emergency responders requested an air ambulance for transport to the Torrette Hospital in Ancona, but Felix was pronounced dead at the scene.
A few hours before the accident, Felix posted a video on his Instagram showing him paragliding in circles over a field, completely unaware of the tragedy that was about to strike. He also shared a photo of an airfield with the caption: "Too much wind."
Felix Baumgartner became famous around the world in 2012 when he successfully completed a record-breaking jump from the stratosphere at a height of 24 miles (128,100ft). Felix's descent from the 'edge of space' in a pressure suit lasted around 10 minutes, and saw him become the first man to break the sound barrier in free fall.
But, his career began at a very young age, after he started skydiving at just 16-years-old.
In 1988, he began collaborating with the Red Bull brand, and from the 1990s onwards, he also tried his hand at base jumping and set several records and 14 world records. In 2003 he also became the first man to fly across the English Channel in a wingsuit
The city's mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, confirmed Baumgartner's death in a social media 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." Mr Ciarpella said.
And tragically, just days prior, Felix posted a selfie almost directly above where he died in his motorised paraglider. On Saturday, July 12 he captioned the post: "Flying holiday greetings from Fermo Italy. Where are you vacationing this year?"
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