Felix Baumgartner, record-holding skydiver, dies in tragic paragliding accident.

Extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner, renowned for being the first skydiver to exceed the speed of sound, tragically died in a crash on Thursday along the eastern coast of Italy. He was 56 years old.

Reports from Italian firefighters indicate that Baumgartner’s paraglider crashed into a swimming pool in the city of Porto Sant Elpidio. The mayor of the city, Massimiliano Ciarpella, confirmed his death on social media, expressing the community’s deep sorrow over the loss of a globally recognized figure famed for his courage and passion for extreme flight.

Baumgartner, popularly known as “Fearless Felix,” captivated audiences in 2012 when he broke the sound barrier during a breathtaking 24-mile leap from the stratosphere. Equipped with a pressurized suit, he jumped from a capsule suspended by a giant helium balloon over New Mexico.

His nine-minute descent reached speeds of 843.6 mph, which is approximately 1.25 times the speed of sound. During the jump, he experienced a dangerous flat spin but achieved a successful landing in the eastern New Mexico desert.

His jump from such an unprecedented altitude set a new record for skydiving, breaking the previous mark established by Joe Kittinger in 1960, who later served as an advisor to Baumgartner. While Baumgartner’s record stood for two years, it was eventually surpassed by Google executive Alan Eustace, who achieved new heights in free-fall jumping.

Throughout his career, Baumgartner completed thousands of jumps from various iconic locations worldwide, including the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil. In recent years, he showcased his talents as a helicopter stunt pilot with The Flying Bulls across Europe.

Baumgartner often reflected on his experiences with awe, emphasizing the humbling perspective gained from immense heights.