Felix Baumgartner killed in paragliding accident in Italy

According to information provided by the fire department to the APA, Felix Baumgartner lost control of a motorized paraglider due to a sudden onset of discomfort and crashed into a hotel pool. According to the rescue forces, he was immediately dead.

Hotel Employee Injured in Felix Baumgartner Accident

During the fall, he hit a hotel employee who was admitted to the hospital with neck injuries. She was injured by a piece of debris that came loose upon the vehicle's impact. She received medical first aid on site and was then taken to the hospital. Baumgartner had taken off from an area designated for motor paraglider launches. His long-time partner, who was in the area with the extreme sportsman, was informed of her husband's death.

At the time of the accident, many people were near the swimming pool, including many children. According to the rescue units, the tragedy could have been much larger in scale. Baumgartner's paraglider crashed into a wooden structure next to a swimming pool. The Carabinieri, the fire department, and the Red Cross of Porto Sant'Elpidio immediately rushed to the accident site.

The area around the pool was cordoned off. The holiday village Le Mimose, where the accident occurred, is located two kilometers from the center of Porto Sant'Elpidio and spans a 30,000 square meter area.

Felix Baumgartner Became Famous Through Stratosphere Jump

Baumgartner became world-famous in the fall of 2012 through his stratosphere jump from over 36 kilometers in the USA. He jumped from the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio, flew with carbon wings over the English Channel, and jumped from the stratosphere to Earth in 2012: Felix Baumgartner caused a lot of sensation with his actions, but also with controversial statements throughout his life. Baumgartner, who was born on April 20, 1969, in Salzburg, dreamed of flying from childhood. "I always wanted to see the world from above," he said in an APA interview shortly before his stratosphere jump. After completing an apprenticeship as a machine fitter and working as a car mechanic, he served in the army for five years, where he was trained as a parachutist, among other things.

First Base Jump by Felix Baumgartner 1996

His first base jump was completed by the Salzburg native in 1996 from the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. Since 1997, he has been a professional base jumper and is sponsored by the Salzburg beverage manufacturer Red Bull. His registered trademark, the logo with the flame and the number 502, was created through registration with the American B.A.S.E. Association in 1998, where he received the number 502. Every jumper who has jumped from all four B.A.S.E. object types, namely Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth, is registered there.

His biggest projects were in 1999, the jump from the then tallest building, the "Petronas Towers" in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and in the same year, Baumgartner jumped from the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Four years later, he flew in free fall with a specially constructed carbon wing from England across the English Channel to France. "That was the best morning I've ever spent," said the Salzburg native shortly afterward in an APA interview.

2012 the Stratosphere Jump by Felix Baumgartner

However, his most spectacular project was the jump from the stratosphere to Earth, to become the first person to break the sound barrier in free fall from over 36 kilometers high, as he announced in early 2010. The project was associated with ups and downs, in October 2010 the endeavor had to be put on hold due to a legal dispute. "When you work on a project for so long, you sometimes lose faith that it will ever become a reality. You also have many setbacks, you go into a meeting with three problems and come out with five," said Baumgartner in 2014.

In the fall of 2012, the time had come, after two successfully completed test jumps, the team around the Salzburg native prepared for the final jump in the New Mexico desert. On October 14, 2012, the weather window in Roswell held, and Baumgartner was brought to an altitude of almost 39 kilometers sitting in a capsule by a helium balloon. With the words "I'm coming home now," he let himself fall into the depths under the thunderous applause of his team and relatives. After initial tumbling, Baumgartner stabilized and landed safely in the desert. "Sometimes you have to go up really high to see how small you really are," said the Salzburg native.

Three World Records Recognized for Felix Baumgartner

The Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), which is responsible worldwide for the recording of records in aviation, recognized three world records with the jump. According to them, Baumgartner reached a maximum speed of Mach 1.25 or exactly 1,357.6 kilometers per hour, the highest jump at 38,969.40 meters, and the longest free fall with a length of 36,402.6 meters.

After the Stratos project, Baumgartner announced that he would turn his back on professional sports and establish a new career as a rescue helicopter pilot. "I believe I have experienced everything there is to do with base jumping. I reached a point where I realized I could only repeat myself."

Controversial Statements by Felix Baumgartner

Baumgartner also made headlines outside of his projects. He repeatedly made headlines with political statements: "You can't achieve anything in a democracy. We would need a moderate dictatorship, where there are a few people from the private sector who really know what they're doing," he said in an interview with the "Kleine Zeitung." For statements made online, Baumgartner received the negative award "Rosa Handtaschl" from the Austrian women's media network. He also caused controversy with statements about the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, Baumgartner was found guilty of defamation last year after calling "Falter" editor-in-chief Florian Klenk a "complete idiot" and "pharma whore" on social media.

In an APA interview in 2022, Baumgartner answered the question of whether he regrets any statements he made publicly with a clear "No." He stands by everything he has said or posted. "I have the luxury and freedom, which many envy me for, to be able to express my opinion." He also receives a lot of positive feedback for it. "A certain image has been portrayed in the media. And that's also because I often didn't care about anything. (...) But everyone who has gotten to know me better says they have a completely different impression now than they did before." A political post from him quickly makes it into all the media, but the fact that he organized flights for children was not reported. "But as long as I have such encounters, I don't care about such shitstorms." After four days, no one talks about it anymore.

Reactions to the Death of Felix Baumgartner

Italian media reacted with shock to Baumgartner's death: "The man of impossible ventures didn't make it this time: Felix Baumgartner has died while once again facing one of his adrenaline-fueled challenges," commented the sports daily "Gazzetta dello Sport." "The king of the boldest challenges and records is dead," said Corriere della Sera.

FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl reacted with great dismay to the news of Baumgartner's death: "Felix Baumgartner was a courageous pioneer, a passionate patriot, and a person with integrity. With his achievements, he showed many people what is possible with determination and courage." The FPÖ chairman continued: "Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones in this difficult time. Felix Baumgartner will be remembered - as an exceptional figure, as an adventurer who was willing to explore the limits of what is possible and push into new dimensions."

(APA/Red)

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