Felix Baumgartner, Austrian skydiver and BASE jumper who became famous worldwide for his jump from the stratosphere on October 2012, has died, aged 56, while paragliding in Porto Sant'Elpidio, Italy. The accident was not caused by a malfunction of the craft, but he seemingly suffered a medical episode during the flight that caused him to lose control and crash into a swimming pool in a camp site. A young woman was hurt in the impact, but is not in serious condition. Baumgartner died as a result of the crash.
Red Bull, one of its sponsors, paid tribute to the extreme athlete. "Thank you, Felix, for being who you were: clear, demanding, critical, especially with yourself. Inflexible when you set your mind to something; arguing with you only made sense if you came prepared with solid arguments", the energy drink company said.
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"You immersed yourself deeply in every project; no detail was too small, no risk too great if you could calculate it. We grew with you, and you with us. [...] We carry you in our hearts: as a colleague, a loyal partner, and, above all, as a friend".
Baumgartner, born in Salzburg, Austria, in 1969, became a worldwide sensation when, on October 24, 2012, he skydived from the stratosphere, 39 km (24 mi) in the sky, becoming the first person to break the sound barrier as he feel at a speed of 1,357.64 km/h (843.6 mph), Mach 1.25. He lost the altitude record two years later, but his stint, widely publicised by Red Bull for how incredibly risk it was at the time, attracted eight million viewers live.
That stunt granted him a Laureus Award, the "Sport Oscars" for "Action Sportsperson of the Year" in 2013.
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