Felix Baumgartner, an extreme sports pioneer known for his record-breaking skydive from near space, died in a paragliding accident in Italy at the age of 56. He lost control of his motorised paraglider over Porto Sant'Elpidio and fell near a hotel swimming pool. Although the reasons for the accident remain unclear, preliminary reports indicated he may have suffered a medical issue while flying. Baumgartner gained international fame in 2012 when he became the first skydiver to break the sound barrier from a height of 38 kilometers.
Baumgartner lost control of his motorised paraglider while flying over Porto Sant'Elpidio in Italy's central Marche region and fell to the ground near the swimming pool of a hotel.
The reasons for the accident were unclear, but reports suggested he may have suffered a sudden medical issue midair.
Baumgartner became the first skydiver to break the sound barrier, reaching a peak speed of more than 1,343km/h during his record-breaking jump from 38km.
He started parachuting as a teenager and gained fame for extreme stunts, including skydiving across the English Channel and parachuting from the Petronas Towers.
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