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Austrian Felix Baumgartner, known for jumping from the stratosphere in 2012, died in a paragliding accident

Known for extreme challenges, in 2012 he became known worldwide for jumping out of the stratosphere, setting three world records, including being the first person to break the sound barrier without using a vehicle.

Felix Baumgartner, in a stock photo. Photo: EFE

Austrian paratrooper Felix Baumgartner died at the age of 56 after an accident while paragliding in the Italian region of Las Marcas (centre), local media reported.

Baumgartner appears to have suffered some discomfort during the flight, which caused him to lose control of the equipment and fall into the pool of a tourist establishment in Porto Sant'Elpidio, off the coast of Fermo. As a result of the crash, a young woman was seriously injured, but not seriously.

Baumgartner, known for extreme challenges, became world-famous for his jump from the stratosphere in 2012, setting three world records, including being the first man to break the sound barrier without using a vehicle.

In October of that year, the Austrian starred in an attempt from 39 kilometers and landed in the desert of New Mexico.

Felix Baumgartner. Photo: EFE

In addition to the jumps of great stature, the Austrian sportsman was a key figure in the world of extreme sports and made spectacular jumps from skyscrapers, bridges and natural formations.

Born in Salzburg in 1969, Baumgartner was on holiday in Italy with his family and, despite withdrawing from the great media feats, continued paragliding flights, along with 200,000 followers on social media.

In his latest social media posts, he showed some of his last paragliding flights, a sport he had always liked and tattooed on his right arm with the phrase "born to fly."

The accident has caused great shock in the international extreme sports community. The Italian authorities are investigating the exact causesof the accident, but there may be some discomfort on the flight.

Other circumstances, such as technical problems with equipment, are not ruled out, according to the same sources.


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