Austrian adventure sportsman Felix Baumgartner has passed away in a paragliding crash at the age of 56 in Italy on Thursday, Sky Sports Austria reported citing the Italian media. Baumgartner, a Salzburg native, was flying over the Italian village of Porto Sant'Elpidio on the Adriatic coast when the accident occurred, according to Italian broadcaster RAI, which initially reported the fatal incident.
The report further stated that Baumgartner experienced a little bit of discomfort during paragliding, which led to the accident. Ansa Italian news agency reported that the accident occurred at approximately 4 p.m. and Baumgartner died instantly.
Sky Austria's report also added that Baumgartner lost control of the motor paraglider and plummeted into the hotel swimming pool. The issue that led to him losing control has not been disclosed yet.
As he plunged into the hotel, he struck a hotel employee. According to reports, the employee incurred minor neck injuries.
Baumgartner's companion was with him in in the Italian village and has been told of the 56-year-old's demise, the report stated.
Baumgartner became an international sensation for his record-breaking stunt of leaping from the edge of space to the Earth on October 14, 2012, as part of Red Bull Stratos. He climbed 128,100 feet (39,045 meters), all the way to the edge of Earth and space, and parachuted back to Earth safely. The stunt holds the record for the highest manned balloon flight, and the highest jump ever attempted using a parachute.
