Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian extreme adventurer who hurtled to earth from more than 24 miles high in 2012 and became the first human to break the sound barrier while free-falling, died on Thursday in a paragliding accident along the Adriatic coast in Italy. He was 56.
His death was confirmed by Red Bull, the energy drink company that sponsored him, as well as by the Italian authorities.
Mr. Baumgartner crashed to the ground a few yards from a swimming pool in the town of Porto Sant’Elpidio, the mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, said on Friday. He said that Mr. Baumgartner had become ill during his flight and had lost consciousness by the time of impact in a part of town popular among tourists. An autopsy was to be performed, he said.
Mayor Ciarpella called Mr. Baumgartner “a figure of global prominence, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight.”
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I’ll save everyone a click - sounds like he had a sudden issue - cardiac arrest, heart attack, stroke, etc, while paragliding.
it’s a cliche older than me but how apt, this fella truly died doing what he loved. I hope I get to go out like that when it’s my time.