Felix Baumgartner, First Person to Break the Sound Barrier in Free Fall, Dies in Paragliding Crash in Italy
Porto Sant’Elpidio, Italy – July 17, 2025 – Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian daredevil famous for his 2012 supersonic jump from the edge of space, has died at age 56 after a motorized paraglider went down near a swimming pool at a tourist resort in Porto Sant’Elpidio, along Italy’s Adriatic coastline.. Local officials suspect he suffered a sudden medical episode in mid-air, causing him to lose control and plunge to his death.
Mayor Massimiliano Ciarpella confirmed the tragic events, stating that Baumgartner “lost control of his motorized paraglider and crashed near a swimming pool.” He added that eyewitnesses reported the athlete may have become ill before the crash.
A hotel employee was also injured by debris from the impact
Baumgartner rose to international prominence in October 2012 when, wearing a pressurized suit beneath a helium balloon, he ascended to approximately 128,000 feet (39 km) over New Mexico and leapt into free fall. During his descent, he accelerated to approximately 843.6 mph (Mach 1.25), making him the first person to break the sound barrier in free fall without any vehicle assistance.
The feat lasted roughly nine minutes, including a perilous spin, and captivated a global audience through a livestream viewed by millions.
Beyond his headline-making stratospheric jump, Baumgartner’s career included aerial stunts like flying across the English Channel in a carbon-fiber wing, BASE jumps off skyscrapers and natural formations, and serving as a stunt pilot with The Flying Bulls.
In the wake of his death, tributes have poured in from around the world. Red Bull, sponsor of the 2012 Stratos mission, praised him as “clear, demanding and critical… a loyal companion, but most of all a friend.
Porto Sant’Elpidio’s mayor described him as a “symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight,” and expressed condolences on behalf of the community
Felix Baumgartner is remembered for his groundbreaking achievements, remarkable precision, and fearless pursuit of the extreme. From the stratosphere to urban skyways, his record‑shattering jump and countless daredevil stunts inspired a generation to explore the limits of human achievement — always mindful, as he once said, remarked, “Sometimes you need to ascend to great heights to truly understand how small you are.