Daredevil athlete Felix Baumgartner dies in paragliding crash

Felix Baumgartner, known for being the first skydiver to break the sound barrier with his own body, died on Thursday in a paragliding accident in Italy. He was 56.

The mayor of Porto Sant’Elpidio, Italy, on Thursday shared the news of Baumgartner’s death. Massimiliano Ciarpella said his community was mourning the tragedy. A fatal illness took Baumgartner mid-flight, Ciarpella said. A paraglider crashed into the side of a swimming pool in the city, according to the Associated Press, citing Italian firefighters.

What was Baumgartner’s background? The Austrian daredevil took up skydiving at 16 and expanded his skills on the Austrian military’s parachuting team, according to his website. He partnered with Red Bull for skydiving exhibitions in 1988 and remained a collaborator of the company until his death. He also drove high-speed racecars and set records for BASE jumping, according to his website. Most notably, Baumgartner became the first human to freefall at the speed of sound when he jumped from the edge of the stratosphere for a Red Bull project in 2012.

Baumgartner pushed limits while remaining smart and thorough, Red Bull said in a Thursday post mourning his death.

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