Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian extreme sports pioneer who became the first person to break the sound barrier without vehicular power, has died aged 56 in a paragliding accident in Italy.
The daredevil crashed into a hotel swimming pool in Porto Sant'Elpidio after suffering what has been reported as a "sudden onset of illness" whilst flying a motored paraglider.
Baumgartner lost control of his aircraft and was killed instantly upon impact.
A hotel employee was also injured in the incident after being struck by the paraglider as he hit the ground. The employee was taken to hospital with neck injuries.
Reuters
|Felix Baumgartner was known for his captivating stunts
The accident marks a tragic end for the man who captivated millions worldwide with his death-defying stunts, most notably his historic 2012 jump from the edge of space.
Hours before the fatal accident, Baumgartner had posted several messages on social media that would become his final communications.
One image showed him working on the paraglider that would lead to his death, which he captioned: "Man at work." Another post on his Instagram story depicted a field with Baumgartner commenting: "Too much wind."
The tragedy occurred on Thursday in the Italian coastal town, where Baumgartner had been pursuing his latest aerial adventure.
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Following news of his death, tributes poured in from fans on social media.
"RIP legend," wrote one admirer, whilst another declared: "Can't believe, am so sorry for his friends and family."
"We will all miss you Felix," noted one fan, with another adding: "Shocked by the news, RIP."
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Felix Baumgartner shot to fame after the incredible feat in 2012
Baumgartner achieved global fame in 2012 when he ascended 24 miles above Earth in a helium balloon before jumping back to the planet.
The Red Bull-sponsored feat saw him reach an estimated top speed of Mach 1.25, or 843.6 mph, setting world records for both the highest skydive and becoming the first human to break the sound barrier outside a vehicle.
Millions watched the live stream as Baumgartner declared before his jump: "I wish you could see what I can see."
Reflecting afterwards, he said: "When you're standing on top of the world, you don't think of records any more, all you think is that you want to come back alive."
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The Austrian had previously completed numerous extreme feats, including scaling the world's tallest buildings and skydiving across the English Channel. Years later, Baumgartner reflected on the technical challenges of his historic jump: "I wanted to be the first human outside of an aircraft breaking the sound barrier."
He described the perilous moments after leaving the capsule: "First 25 seconds it looked like everything's under control. Then after 34 seconds I hit Mach 1 and broke the speed of sound. That was our goal."
The jump nearly ended in disaster when he began spinning uncontrollably.
Felix Baumgartner posted this image on his Instagram just hours before his death
"I was mentally prepared to spin. I started, it got faster. There was no protocol. Then it really ramped up. It wasn't about breaking records any more, it was about survival," he recalled.
Despite the danger, Baumgartner concluded: "I was happy. Even the landing was perfect."
His death leaves behind a legacy as one of extreme sports' most fearless pioneers.