Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner, immortalised for his breathtaking 2012 skydive from the stratosphere, tragically died Thursday in a paragliding crash in Porto Sant’Elpidio, Italy. He was 56.Baumgartner, famously known as “Fearless Felix,” made history on October 14, 2012, when he became the first human to break the sound barrier in freefall – without the aid of a machine. The jump, conducted as part of the Red Bull Stratos mission, captured the world’s attention and remains one of the most iconic feats in extreme sports.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!In the now-legendary video, streamed live to millions, Baumgartner stands on the edge of a tiny capsule 24 miles (39 kilometers) above Earth, looks down at the curve of the planet, flashes a calm thumbs-up, and leaps. What follows is four minutes of pure human daring – as he plummets at speeds reaching 843.6 mph (1,357.6 km/h), eventually deploying his parachute and landing safely in the New Mexico desert.“Sometimes you have to go really high to understand how small you are,” Baumgartner said moments before the jump, words that still echo across time.From his teenage skydives to BASE jumps off skyscrapers and canyons, to flying across the English Channel in carbon wings, Baumgartner lived a life above ground – and far beyond the ordinary. But it was his 2012 leap that cemented his place in history.More than a decade later, that jump still inspires awe. Watch the moment below and remember the man who dared to fall faster than sound – and made the world hold its breath.WATCH:
Who was Felix Baumgartner?
Felix Baumgartner was an Austrian skydiver, BASE jumper, stunt pilot, and extreme sports icon known for pushing the limits of human flight. Born in Salzburg in 1969, he began skydiving in his teens and honed his skills in the Austrian military. Over the years, he became famous for daring stunts – from jumping off skyscrapers to gliding across the English Channel in carbon wings. In 1999, he gained international attention by performing the world’s lowest BASE jump from the hand of Rio’s Christ the Redeemer statue.However, it was his 2012 Red Bull Stratos mission that truly defined him: a 24-mile skydive from the stratosphere, making him the first person to break the sound barrier without mechanical assistance. Known as “Fearless Felix,” he combined precision, planning, and bravery in everything he did. Baumgartner was also a licensed helicopter pilot and balloonist, embodying a lifelong passion to be, quite literally, above it all.
