Extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner dies during horror fall into hotel swimming pool

Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian daredevil who jumped from the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere in a 2012 stunt, died on Thursday in Italy during a horror fall in Italy where he crash-landed in a hotel swimming pool.

A senior official with the emergency services in the Marches region, northern Italy, confirmed the 56-year-old’s death, saying police at Porto Sant’Elpidio, on Italy’s Adriatic coast, had identified Baumgartner.

While he was not able to say what had been the cause of death, a report in the Il Corriere della Sera daily said that Baumgartner had lost control of his paraglider with the local mayor suggesting he sustained a cardiac arrest mid-air.

He landed in the pool of at a Porto Sant’Elpidio hotel, slightly injuring a young woman worker. He was pronounced dead at the scene and it is thought he died before he hit the ground.

The accident happened at around 4pm.

Baumgartner’s wife, Mihaela Schwartzenberg, was holidaying in the area and was immediately called after the accident.

She reportedly rushed to the scene where bystanders and hotel staff had tried to revive her husband.

Only hours before the fatal paragliding crash, Baumgartner shared a photo on his Instagram from an airfield.

Nicknamed ‘Fearless Felix’ and sporting a ‘born to fly’ tattoo, he left a chilling message before he took off.

“Too much wind,” he said, but still he set off on the fatal adventure.

In October 2012, Baumgartner captured international attention when he leapt from a balloon 38km above Earth’s surface, becoming the first person to skydive faster than the speed of sound, which is generally greater than 1100km/h.

The record-setting descent took place over Roswell, New Mexico, where he accelerated to more than 1343km/h.

“Sometimes we have to get really high to see how small we are,” he said after the feat.

His employer Red Bull USA lead the tributes. “We are shocked and overwhelmed with sadness to hear the devastating news of our longtime friend Felix Baumgartner.

“Felix was ‘born to fly’ and was determined to push the limits.

“He was also smart, professional, thorough and meticulous, never leaving anything to chance. He was generous, giving much of his time to helping and inspiring so many people. We remember Felix as a lovely person, devoted to his family and friends, to whom we send our heartfelt sympathy. Felix, you will be deeply missed.

One of Baumgartner’s first records was in 1999 for the lowest BASE dive from the hand of Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, which is 29m above the ground.

Despite the dangers, Baumgartner never seemed to fear having to pay the ultimate price for his passion, stressing that it was all about doing your homework.

“I hate it if someone calls me a thrill-seeker or an adrenaline junkie because I am not. I like the whole planning,” Baumgartner said ahead of the 2012 stunt.