Latest news with #SkyTG24
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Skydiver Felix Baumgartner, known for record-breaking jump from stratosphere, dies in paragliding crash
Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian base jumper and skydiver renowned for his record-breaking jump from the stratosphere, died while paragliding in Italy on Thursday, local media reported. Baumgartner, 56, lost control of his paraglider and crashed into a hotel swimming pool in the coastal town of Porto Sant'Elpidio, CNN affiliate SkyTG24 reported. The apparatus struck a woman who was not seriously injured, according to SkyTG24. Italy's national broadcaster RAI reported that authorities are working to determine the exact cause of the crash. CNN has reached out to Baumgartner's representatives. The mayor of Porto Sant'Elpidio, Massimiliano Ciarpella, said on his official Facebook page that his community was 'deeply affected' by the death of Baumgartner, who he called a 'symbol of courage.' Baumgartner, who had base jumped from landmarks like the Petronas Towers in Malaysia and the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, achieved international recognition in 2012 when he broke a world record by skydiving from a pressurized pod about 24 miles above the ground. Red Bull, which sponsored Baumgartner's record-breaking feat, issued a statement Thursday stating in part, 'We are shocked and overwhelmed with sadness to hear the devastating news of our longtime friend Felix Baumgartner. 'Felix was 'born to fly' and was determined to push the limits. He was also smart, professional, thorough, and meticulous, never leaving anything to chance. He was generous, giving much of his time to help and inspiring so many people.' A decade after his famed leap, he described to CNN how he felt at that moment. 'I'm standing there on top of the world outside of a capsule in space and in the stratosphere. I looked around the sky above me was completely black,' Baumgartner told CNN Sport's Patrick Snell. 'I was really trying to inhale that moment,' he added. As he fell to Earth, his speed reached more than 840 mph, breaking the sound barrier. The so-called Red Bull Stratos freefall took six years to plan as the team worked out every detail of the jump. 'We thought, we're going to build the capsule, build the pressure suit, practice for a while, and then we go all the way up to the stratosphere and come back to Earth at supersonic speed,' said Baumgartner. 'Sometimes we'd go into a meeting with three problems and then leave that meeting eight hours later with another five … and no solution for the previous problems.' To get Baumgartner up to the stratosphere, his team had to construct a helium balloon the size of 33 football pitches, weighing 3,708lbs. It took as many as 20 people to move without damaging the balloon's material, which was 10 times thinner than a sandwich bag. But the biggest threat to the project was perhaps the most unforeseen – Baumgartner's mental fortitude. The suit had to be both pressurized and able to handle temperatures of minus 72° Celsius (minus 97.6° Fahrenheit). 'It's very uncomfortable,' said Baumgartner. 'You have a total lack of mobility. It always feels like you're breathing through a pillow. You're completely separated from the outside world. So once the visor is down, all you can hear is yourself breathing.' Soon after landing, Baumgartner said he struggled to process his emotions as he approached the Earth. 'I had tears in my eyes when I was coming back a couple of times because you're sitting there and you thought about that moment so many times, you know, how it would feel and how it would look like.' 'And this is way bigger than I had anticipated,' he said. Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
3 days ago
- Sport
- CNN
Skydiver Felix Baumgartner, known for record-breaking jump from stratosphere, dies in paragliding crash
Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian base jumper and skydiver renowned for his record-breaking jump from the stratosphere, died while paragliding in Italy on Thursday, local media reported. Baumgartner, 56, lost control of his paraglider and crashed into a hotel swimming pool in the coastal town of Porto Sant'Elpidio, CNN affiliate SkyTG24 reported. The apparatus struck a woman who was not seriously injured, according to SkyTG24. Italy's national broadcaster RAI reported that authorities are working to determine the exact cause of the crash. CNN has reached out to Baumgartner's representatives. The mayor of Porto Sant'Elpidio, Massimiliano Ciarpella, said on his official Facebook page that his community was 'deeply affected' by the death of Baumgartner, who he called a 'symbol of courage.' Baumgartner, who had base jumped from landmarks like the Petronas Towers in Malaysia and the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, achieved international recognition in 2012 when he broke a world record by skydiving from a pressurized pod about 24 miles above the ground. A decade later, he described to CNN how he felt at that moment. 'I'm standing there on top of the world outside of a capsule in space and in the stratosphere. I looked around the sky above me was completely black,' Baumgartner told CNN Sport's Patrick Snell. 'I was really trying to inhale that moment,' he added. As he fell to Earth, his speed reached more than 840 mph, breaking the sound barrier. The so-called Red Bull Stratos freefall took six years to plan as the team worked out every detail of the jump. 'We thought, we're going to build the capsule, build the pressure suit, practice for a while, and then we go all the way up to the stratosphere and come back to Earth at supersonic speed,' said Baumgartner. 'Sometimes we'd go into a meeting with three problems and then leave that meeting eight hours later with another five … and no solution for the previous problems.' To get Baumgartner up to the stratosphere, his team had to construct a helium balloon the size of 33 football pitches, weighing 3,708lbs. It took as many as 20 people to move without damaging the balloon's material, which was 10 times thinner than a sandwich bag. But the biggest threat to the project was perhaps the most unforeseen – Baumgartner's mental fortitude. The suit had to be both pressurized and able to handle temperatures of minus 72° Celsius (minus 97.6° Fahrenheit). 'It's very uncomfortable,' said Baumgartner. 'You have a total lack of mobility. It always feels like you're breathing through a pillow. You're completely separated from the outside world. So once the visor is down, all you can hear is yourself breathing.' Soon after landing, Baumgartner said he struggled to process his emotions as he approached the Earth. 'I had tears in my eyes when I was coming back a couple of times because you're sitting there and you thought about that moment so many times, you know, how it would feel and how it would look like.' 'And this is way bigger than I had anticipated,' he said.
CNN
3 days ago
- Sport
- CNN
Skydiver Felix Baumgartner, known for record-breaking jump from stratosphere, dies in paragliding crash
Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian base jumper and skydiver renowned for his record-breaking jump from the stratosphere, died while paragliding in Italy on Thursday, local media reported. Baumgartner, 56, lost control of his paraglider and crashed into a hotel swimming pool in the coastal town of Porto Sant'Elpidio, CNN affiliate SkyTG24 reported. The apparatus struck a woman who was not seriously injured, according to SkyTG24. Italy's national broadcaster RAI reported that authorities are working to determine the exact cause of the crash. CNN has reached out to Baumgartner's representatives. The mayor of Porto Sant'Elpidio, Massimiliano Ciarpella, said on his official Facebook page that his community was 'deeply affected' by the death of Baumgartner, who he called a 'symbol of courage.' Baumgartner, who had base jumped from landmarks like the Petronas Towers in Malaysia and the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, achieved international recognition in 2012 when he broke a world record by skydiving from a pressurized pod about 24 miles above the ground. A decade later, he described to CNN how he felt at that moment. 'I'm standing there on top of the world outside of a capsule in space and in the stratosphere. I looked around the sky above me was completely black,' Baumgartner told CNN Sport's Patrick Snell. 'I was really trying to inhale that moment,' he added. As he fell to Earth, his speed reached more than 840 mph, breaking the sound barrier. The so-called Red Bull Stratos freefall took six years to plan as the team worked out every detail of the jump. 'We thought, we're going to build the capsule, build the pressure suit, practice for a while, and then we go all the way up to the stratosphere and come back to Earth at supersonic speed,' said Baumgartner. 'Sometimes we'd go into a meeting with three problems and then leave that meeting eight hours later with another five … and no solution for the previous problems.' To get Baumgartner up to the stratosphere, his team had to construct a helium balloon the size of 33 football pitches, weighing 3,708lbs. It took as many as 20 people to move without damaging the balloon's material, which was 10 times thinner than a sandwich bag. But the biggest threat to the project was perhaps the most unforeseen – Baumgartner's mental fortitude. The suit had to be both pressurized and able to handle temperatures of minus 72° Celsius (minus 97.6° Fahrenheit). 'It's very uncomfortable,' said Baumgartner. 'You have a total lack of mobility. It always feels like you're breathing through a pillow. You're completely separated from the outside world. So once the visor is down, all you can hear is yourself breathing.' Soon after landing, Baumgartner said he struggled to process his emotions as he approached the Earth. 'I had tears in my eyes when I was coming back a couple of times because you're sitting there and you thought about that moment so many times, you know, how it would feel and how it would look like.' 'And this is way bigger than I had anticipated,' he said.
CNN
3 days ago
- Sport
- CNN
Cycling world mourns the death of 19-year-old Samuele Privitera after crash during a race
Italian cyclist Samuele Privitera has died aged 19 following a crash at the Giro della Valle d'Aosta, his team announced. Privitera was competing in the first stage of the under-23 race in Pontey in the northwest of Italy when the crash took place. 'Samuele was and always will be the life and personality of this team,' Axel Merckx, owner and general manager of Hagens Berman Jayco, said in a statement on the team's Instagram page. 'This team has always been a small family, and moments like this are unimaginable. 'He was irreplaceable. His joy, his spirit, his kindness, was always a bright light to whatever room or race that he was in at that moment. To lose him is devastating beyond words.' According to CNN affiliate SkyTG24, Privitera fell on a descent, causing him to lose his helmet and hit his head on a gate. In a statement, race organizers said that Privitera was promptly assisted by medical services and taken to hospital in Aosta. 'The circumstances of the accident are still unclear and are being investigated by public safety authorities,' organizers said. CNN Sports has contacted Aosta police for comment. The organizers' statement added that Thursday's stage of the race has been canceled due to Privitera's death, with the event resuming on Friday following a moment's silence in honor of the young cyclist. 'All formal ceremonies are canceled until the end of the event,' organizers said. 'The organizing committee is leaving the teams free to decide whether to continue the race starting with the third stage.' Among those to pay tribute to Privitera on social media were three-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar and eight-time Olympic medalist Bradley Wiggins. Several teams also expressed their condolences, with Ineos Grenadiers writing on Instagram: 'All our thoughts are with Samuele's family, friends and teammates at this incredibly difficult time.' The Giro della Valle d'Aosta, a five-stage race for under-23 riders, began on Wednesday and is scheduled to conclude on Sunday.
CNN
08-07-2025
- General
- CNN
Man dies at Milan airport after being sucked into jet engine, local media reports
A man died after he was sucked into the engine of a departing plane at Milan airport in northern Italy, local media reported on Tuesday. The aircraft had just left the stand at Milan Bergamo Airport en route to Asturias, northwestern Spain, on Tuesday morning local time, according to CNN affiliate Sky TG24, when the incident occurred. Corriere della Sera newspaper reported that unnamed airport officials said an individual ran onto the tarmac as the plane was preparing to take off and got sucked into the engine. Authorities have launched an investigation into how the individual was able to reach the runway from outside the airport. CNN has contacted Milan airport officials and police for comment. Officials resumed flights from the transit hub on Tuesday midday local time, according to the airport, after they temporarily delayed flights due to the incident. This is a developing story and will be updated. CNN's Antonia Mortensen reported from Rome. CNN's Sana Noor Haq reported and wrote from London. Juan Pablo O'Connell contributed reporting.
