Felix Baumgartner - The Austrian skydiver, (and daredevil,) who did a parachute jump from 'space,' dies, aged 56 - in a paragliding accident.

[SabreIsMyFave]

How sad. I thought it was so cool when he jumped (in a parachute) from 24 miles up, and survived. Yet now he has died just doing normal paragliding... Aged 56.

R.I.P. Felix Baumgartner. ❤ 20 April 1969 to 17 July 2025.

news.sky.com/story/felix-baumgartner-extreme-athlete-who-jumped-from-space-dies-after-paragliding-crash-13398204

Reminiscent of Yuri Gagarin the first person to go into Outer Space, only to die a few years later in an air crash.

That's sad. I remember watching it on television when he jumped. It was so nerve wracking.

I read yesterday it wasn't an accident as such but that he had a heart attack and was already dead by the time he landed
I don't know if there has been any updates about that information

Yeah it was! I was mesmerised by it though!

Yes it is a bit isn't it?

Oh I didn't know that. I'll go and check, see if I can see anywhere saying this.

That parachute jump was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, it almost had me in tears. R.I.P.

Read this in thetab.com

Felix was said to have been feeling unwell before paragliding in Porto Sant’Elpidio, Italy, but he carried on with the daring fall nonetheless. It’s been reported that he suffered a heart attack during the flight, which meant he lost control and plummeted to the ground. This is yet to be confirmed by the coroner.

So it looks like what @notacooldad said could be true. ^

It was glorious wasn't it?! ❤

His wikipedia page has been updated. It now says

Baumgartner died on 17 July 2025, at the age of 56, during a powered paragliding flight in Porto Sant'Elpidio, near the town of Fermo, Italy. He lost control of the craft in the air after suffering a medical episode, and crashed into a wooden hut near a swimming pool of the Le Mimose Family Camping Village. One person was injured by debris from the impact.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FelixBaumgartner

So yes, it does indeed look like something happened when he was in the air.

Hope he didn't suffer. Hope the person injured when he landed is OK too.

.

He had a cardiac arrest mid jump. Could have happened anywhere.

How weird that it happened mid air though!

I wonder why?

How weird that it happened mid air though!
I wonder why

By the sounds of things, he was already poorly before the jump began, if he stayed on the ground the heart attack probably would still have happened.

Pure luck. He died doing what he loved, mid flight.

Yeah I think so. Seems he was a little unwell before he went up. He was a trouper though, and loved thrill-chasing, so didn't postpone it. If he had though, it would just have happened during another time/he would have still died soon after, shortly after. You can't cheat death's design. (That's what I believe anyway.)

You can't cheat death's design. (That's what I believe anyway.)
I absolutely believe that too.

I loved his adventure spirt.

Yeah I agree, pure chance/luck. As you said though, at least he died doing what he loved doing.

I loved his adventure spirit as well! He was quite easy on the eye too. Quite surprised to hear he was 56, as I thought he was about 12 years younger...

Yes, very sad indeed. I'm no fan of extreme sports (quite the opposite in fact), but I just read his story and felt sadness. It made me wonder about his early years, as a child: what life experiences made him such a lover of heights and jumping and all that? It's really curious. People are fascinating, sometimes.
RIP.

I agree. Very sad, and an untimely death. I also wonder what makes someone want to do such crazy and dangerous things?! Seeking thrills I guess! He may have been taken before his time, but he lived life to the full!