Daredevil icon popular for jumping from space, Felix Baumgartner dies in paragliding accident
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Felix Baumgartner’s space jump (Image via Facebook/Felix Baumgartner)Austrian skydiver and base-jumper Felix Baumgartner passed away in a tragic paragliding accident in Italy. The daredevil was flying a motor paraglider in Porto Sant’Elpidio, a historic village in Italy when he lost his control and crashed into the pool of a hotel resort, as per The Mirror US. A hotel worker was also injured in the crash who was taken to the hospital to receive treatment.
Before his death, Baumgartner posted a video of himself working on his paraglider in Italy, and captioned it,
“Man At Work”
Red Bull, who frequently sponsored Baumgartner, paid tribute to the skydiver in a special message. The brand wrote,
“Thank you, Felix. Thank you for being exactly who you were. Clear, demanding and critical. With others, but most of all with yourself. You were unyielding once you set your mind to something. Debating with you was only a good idea if one came prepared with solid arguments. You never took the easy road and this made you stand out.”
The brand, which sponsored Baumgartner’s famous space jump in addition to working with the adventurer on various other projects, also noted,
“You always sought out the greatest challenges and mastered them with sharp thinking, relentless precision and a good dose of courage. You delved deep into every project. No detail was too small, no risk too great – as long as you could calculate it.”
Playing their respects to Baumgartner, Red Bull emphasized the daredevil’s warm personality, and added,
“Unfortunately, many never got the chance to see how kind and big-hearted you were. How warm, sensitive and supportive. You once said, "If I'm doing well, others should too," and that’s exactly how you lived. You helped without seeking praise and you helped many. We grew with you and you with us. We wouldn't trade a single day we had together. You will stay with us as a colleague, a loyal companion, but most of all as a friend.”
Felix Baumgartner’s record-breaking space jump, explored
The multi-hyphenated adventurer undertook many base-jumping activities over the years, such as jumping from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, as per Dexerto.
In 2012, Felix Baumgartner participated in a jump from space. He jumped from a helium balloon 24 miles above the Earth, reaching the speed of 834 mph, according to DW News. The jump was the highest ever freefall at that time, and the helium balloon flight, the highest manned balloon flight. Baumgartner also broke the the sound barrier with his jump.
The Mirror noted that the jump from the stratosphere above New Mexico broke three world records simultaneously, which included the record for maximum vertical speed, the record for the highest exit altitude and the record for vertical distance of freefall.
In a film released by Red Bull which examined the space jump and the preparation that went into it, Baumgartner said,
“That was our goal, I wanted to be the first human, outside of a aircraft, breaking the sound barrier.”
According to the film, Baumgartner spun around when he first jumped from the helium balloon but he managed to compose himself and flip into a better freefall position.
TOPICS: Felix Baumgartner, death, paragliding