Latest news with #extremeathlete
CTV News
18-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Witnesses to Felix Baumgartner's fatal paragliding crash heard large boom as it spun to the ground
Felix Baumgartner of Austria gestures prior to speaking with the media after successfully jumping from a space capsule lifted by a helium balloon in Roswell, N.M., Oct. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File) PORTO SANT'ELIPIDO, Italy — Beachgoers knew something was wrong when they heard a loud boom ring out as a paraglider spun out of control, killing its only occupant, extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner, when it crashed next to a swimming pool near the Adriatic Sea. A 30-year-old mother watched the deadly descent unfold Thursday afternoon from nearby with her two young children, who were entranced by the constant traffic of paragliders above the beach town of Porto Sant'Elipido in central Italy's Marche region. 'Everything was normal, then it started to spin like a top,'' Mirella Ivanov said Friday. 'It went down and we heard a roar. In fact, I turned around because I thought it crashed on the rocks. Then I saw two lifeguards running, people who were running toward' the crash site. When she saw people trying to revive the occupant, she scurried her two children away. The city's mayor confirmed the death of 56-year-old Baumgartner, who was renowned as the first skydiver to fall faster than the speed of sound. The cause of the paragliding accident was under investigation. Police did not return calls asking for comment. 'It is a destiny that is very hard to comprehend for a man who has broke all kinds of records, who has been an icon of flight, and who traveled through space,' Mayor Massimiliano Ciarpella told The Associated Press. Ciarpella said that Baumgartner had been in the area on vacation, and that investigators believed he may have fallen ill during the fatal flight. Baumgartner's social media feed features videos of him in recent days flying on a motorized paraglider —known as paramotoring — above seaside towns, and taking off from a nearby airfield surrounded by cornfields. The Clube de Sole Le Mimose beachside resort where the crash occurred said in a statement that an employee who was 'slightly injured' in the accident was in good condition. No guests were injured, and the pool has been reopened. In 2012, Baumgartner, known as 'Fearless Felix,' became the first human to break the sound barrier with only his body. He wore a pressurized suit and jumped from a capsule hoisted more than 24 miles (39 kilometres) above Earth by a giant helium balloon over New Mexico. The Austrian, who was part of the Red Bull Stratos team, topped out at 843.6 mph — the equivalent of 1.25 times the speed of sound — during a nine-minute descent. At one point, he went into a potentially dangerous flat spin while still supersonic, spinning for 13 seconds, his crew later said. Baumgartner's altitude record stood for two years until Google executive Alan Eustace set new marks for the highest free-fall jump and greatest free-fall distance. In 2012, millions watched YouTube's livestream as Baumgartner coolly flashed a thumbs-up when he came out of the capsule high above Earth and then activated his parachute as he neared the ground, lifting his arms in victory after he landed. Baumgartner, a former Austrian military parachutist, made thousands of jumps from planes, bridges, skyscrapers and famed landmarks, including the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil. In 2003, he flew across the English Channel in a carbon fiber wing after being dropped from a plane. In recent years, he performed with The Flying Bulls, an aviation team owned and operated by Red Bull, as a helicopter stunt pilot in shows across Europe. Red Bull paid Baumgartner tribute in a post Friday, calling him 'precise, demanding and critical. With others, but above all toward yourself.' The statement underlined the research and courage with which Baumgartner confronted 'the greatest challenges.' 'No detail was too small, no risk too great, because you were capable of calculating it,'' Red Bull said. Andrea Rosa, The Associated Press
Times of Oman
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Times of Oman
Extreme skydiver Baumgartner dies in paragliding accident
Austrian extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner, who jumped down to earth from the stratosphere in a 2012 stunt, died in a paragliding accident in the eastern Italian town of Porto Sant'Elpidio on Thursday. According to local media, the 56-year-old lost consciousness while in flight and then lost control of his paraglider, crashing into a hotel pool and lightly injuring a young female employee. Just hours before, he had posted an image in his Instagram story captioned: "Too much wind." "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," the Porto Sant'Elpidio's Mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, said in a social media post. The energy drink company Red Bull, which sponsored many of Baumgartner's exploits, confirmed his death to Austrian public broadcaster ORF, while the Austrian foreign ministry confirmed the reports to Germany's dpa news agency. Felix Baumgartner's jump from space Born in Salzburg, Baumgartner made headlines as a spectacular base-jumper for many years, jumping from iconic structures such as the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. Baumgartner shot to global fame in October 2012 when he jumped from a helium balloon almost 39 kilometers (24 miles) above the Earth — the highest manned balloon flight and the highest ever freefall at the time. He reached a maximum speed of 1,342.8 km/h (834 mph), breaking the sound barrier.
Al Jazeera
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Al Jazeera
Famous skydiver Felix Baumgartner dead after paragliding accident in Italy
Renowned extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner, most famous for jumping from a record 39 kilometres (24 miles) at the edge of space in the 2012 Red Bull Stratos project, has died in a paragliding accident in Italy on Thursday. The 56-year-old Austrian crashed his paraglider in Porto Sant'Elpidio, situated on the Italian Adriatic coast, after losing control and plunged into a wooden structure next to a swimming pool of the Le Mimose Family Camping Village, according to Italian media reports. A female hotel employee was injured by a piece of debris and taken to hospital with neck injuries. Baumgartner died at the scene of the accident, and investigations into the circumstances of the accident are under way. Italian media reported that Baumgartner had already lost consciousness in the air. 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,' the mayor said. Just two hours before his deadly crash, he posted on the social media platform Instagram with the foreboding caption 'too much wind'. From skydiving to the stratosphere Born in Salzburg, Baumgartner completed his first parachute jump at the age of 16 and later became a parachutist in the Austrian military. Baumgartner's reputation as an extreme sports athlete grew exponentially when he turned his hand to the sport of base jumping in the 1990s. He set a new world record for the highest base jump from a building with his leap from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1999. Later that year, he completed a base jump from the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On July 31, 2003, Baumgartner again made global headlines for his base jumping feats when he became the first person to cross the English Channel in free fall after jumping out of a plane equipped with specially developed wings made of carbon. But it was Baumgartner's record-breaking free fall from space in 2012 that shot the Austrian to worldwide fame. Over the desert of New Mexico, he jumped from a helium balloon almost 39km (24 miles) above the planet and became the first person to break the sound barrier in free fall. Baumgartner set three world records for his jump: He reached a maximum speed of 1,357.6 kilometres per hour (834mph), or Mach 1.25; completed the highest jump at 38,969 metres; and recorded the longest free fall with a length of 36,402 metres. His death was confirmed late on Thursday by the energy drink company Red Bull, which sponsored many of Baumgartner's stunts.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Felix Baumgartner: Extreme athlete who jumped from edge of space dies after paragliding crash
Felix Baumgartner, the extreme athlete who once jumped from the edge of space, has died in a paragliding crash in Italy. The 56-year-old Austrian lost control of his motorised paraglider while flying over Porto Sant'Elpidio in the central Marche region. He then fell to the ground near the swimming pool of a hotel. The reasons for the accident were unclear. According to reports, he fell ill and lost control. During the fall, he is thought to have hit a hotel employee, who was taken to hospital with neck injuries, according to Sky Sports Austria. She was reportedly injured by a piece of debris that had been dislodged during the vehicle's impact. The mayor of Porto Sant'Elpidio, Massimiliano Ciarpella, offered the town's condolences for the death of "a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flights". Mr Baumgartner is best known for his skydive from the edge of space in 2012. He ascended to 128,097ft in a pressurised capsule suspended beneath a giant helium balloon. He then jumped out, freefalling for four minutes and 19 seconds before opening his parachute. He made the historic jump over Roswell, New Mexico, reaching a peak speed of over 833mph (1,343kph). Mr Baumgartner's altitude record stood until 2014 when American computer scientist Alan Eustace did a jump from a height of 135,890ft.
Sky News
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Sky News
Felix Baumgartner: Extreme athlete who jumped from edge of space dies after paragliding crash
Felix Baumgartner, the extreme athlete who once jumped from the edge of space, has died in a paragliding crash in Italy. The 56-year-old Austrian lost control of his motorised paraglider while flying over Porto Sant'Elpidio in the central Marche region. He then fell to the ground near the swimming pool of a hotel. The reasons for the accident were unclear. According to reports, he fell ill and lost control. During the fall, he is thought to have hit a hotel employee, who was taken to hospital with neck injuries, according to Sky Sports Austria. She was reportedly injured by a piece of debris that had been dislodged during the vehicle's impact. The mayor of Porto Sant'Elpidio, Massimiliano Ciarpella, offered the town's condolences for the death of "a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flights". Mr Baumgartner is best known for his skydive from the edge of space in 2012. He ascended to 128,097ft in a pressurised capsule suspended beneath a giant helium balloon. He then jumped out, freefalling for four minutes and 19 seconds before opening his parachute. He made the historic jump over Roswell, New Mexico, reaching a peak speed of over 833mph (1,343kph). Mr Baumgartner's altitude record stood until 2014 when American computer scientist Alan Eustace did a jump from a height of 135,890ft.
