Felix Baumgartner, 'Fearless Felix' who jumped from the edge of space, dies at 56

Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian daredevil best known for his death-defying leap from the stratosphere in 2012, has died at the age of 56.

The famed adventurer passed away in a tragic paraglider crash on July 17 in Porto Sant'Elpidio, a coastal city in eastern Italy, according to an AP report.

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Local firefighters confirmed that a paraglider had crashed into the side of a swimming pool near the coast, later identifying the victim as Baumgartner. The city's mayor Massimiliano Ciarpella, mourned his loss in a heartfelt social media post, stating, "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."

Nicknamed "Fearless Felix," Baumgartner gained worldwide fam in 2012 when he became the first human to break the sound barrier in freefall.

Wearing a pressurized suit and supported by a team of engineers, scientists, and fellow skydivers, he launched himself from a capsule suspended by a helium balloon 24 miles (39 kilometres) above New Mexico.

In a breath-taking nine-minute descent through the stratosphere, Baumgartner reached speeds of 843.6 mph - or 1.25 times the speed of sound - becoming the first skydiver to fall faster than the speed of sound without vehicular power. The stunt was part of the Red Bull Stratos project and marked a historic moment in human flight and high-altitude skydiving.

During the descent, Baumgartner briefly entered a dangerous flat spin while still supersonic, rotating uncontrollably for 13 seconds before stabilizing. Despite the risks, he landed safely in the desert of eastern New Mexico. Reflecting on the moment, he told the Associated Press, “When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble... The only thing you want is to come back alive.”

Baumgartner’s record for the highest free-fall jump was broken in 2014 by Google executive Alan Eustace, but the Austrian’s feat remains one of the most iconic moments in the history of extreme sports and human exploration.

Born on April 20, 1969, Baumgartner started as a military parachutist in Austria before turning his passion into a career. Throughout his lifetime, he performed stunts from planes, skyscrapers, bridges, and even iconic landmarks like Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer statue.

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