This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . The next check for changes will be
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2k7094e8xo
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 2 | Version 3 |
---|---|
Felix Baumgartner, who jumped from edge of space, dies paragliding | Felix Baumgartner, who jumped from edge of space, dies paragliding |
(about 5 hours later) | |
Watch: Felix Baumgartner leaps into the record books in 2012 | |
Felix Baumgartner, who once broke the world record for the highest skydive by jumping from the edge of space, has died in a motorised paragliding accident in Italy. | Felix Baumgartner, who once broke the world record for the highest skydive by jumping from the edge of space, has died in a motorised paragliding accident in Italy. |
The 56-year-old fell to the ground near the swimming pool of a hotel while flying over the village of Porto Sant'Elpidio in the eastern Marche region. | The 56-year-old fell to the ground near the swimming pool of a hotel while flying over the village of Porto Sant'Elpidio in the eastern Marche region. |
Porto Sant'Elpidio's Mayor Massimiliano Ciarpella said reports suggested he may have suffered a sudden medical issue mid-air. | |
The Austrian daredevil made headlines in 2012 when he broke the world record - and the sound barrier - for the highest-ever skydive, jumping from a balloon more than 39km (128,000 ft) up in the stratosphere. | The Austrian daredevil made headlines in 2012 when he broke the world record - and the sound barrier - for the highest-ever skydive, jumping from a balloon more than 39km (128,000 ft) up in the stratosphere. |
Baumgartner was described as "a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flights" by Ciarpella, who offered the town's condolences for his death. | |
Fans have left their own tributes beneath one of the skydiver's final social media posts, a video of him working on the motor of his paraglider. | Fans have left their own tributes beneath one of the skydiver's final social media posts, a video of him working on the motor of his paraglider. |
Another post from around 14:30 local time (13:30 BST) bore the text "too much wind" and featured a picture of a full windsock against a cloudy sky. | Another post from around 14:30 local time (13:30 BST) bore the text "too much wind" and featured a picture of a full windsock against a cloudy sky. |
The extreme sportsman was known as "Fearless Felix" for his adventurous stunts. | The extreme sportsman was known as "Fearless Felix" for his adventurous stunts. |
Baumgartner flew across the English Channel in 2003 with an oxygen tank strapped to his back | |
He set one of his earliest records in 1999 for the world's lowest base jump, from the 30m (98ft) high hand of Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue. | He set one of his earliest records in 1999 for the world's lowest base jump, from the 30m (98ft) high hand of Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue. |
In the same year, he set the world record for the highest parachute jump from a building, when he launched himself from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. | |
Then, in 2003, he completed a flight across the English Channel wearing a specially made jumpsuit with carbon-fibre wings. | |
But the extreme sportsman was best known for his space leap. Speaking at a news conference after his record-breaking jump, he said: "When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble." | |
He added: "You don't think about breaking records anymore, you don't think about gaining scientific data - the only thing that you want is to come back alive." | |
Baumgartner placed flowers on the shoulder of the Christ the Redeemer statue after the jump |