Felix Baumgartner, Austrian extreme sports athlete and who was the first skydiver in the history of humanity to free fall to a speed greater than the speed of sound in an attempt to reach 38 kilometers through the stratosphere 13 years ago, died this Thursday on the east coast of Italy.

At the time of his death he was 56 years old and according to reports from the authorities it was reported about an unfortunate event when a paraglider crashed into the side of a swimming pool in the city of Porto Sant'Elpidio.

When the events became known, the news spread like wildfire on social networks and where the mayor of said entity, Massimiliano Ciarpella, confirmed the death of Baumgartner in a publication through the same means in which the news circulated.

“Our community "is deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Felix Baumgartner, a world-renowned figure, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flying," the city official said.

The athlete rose to fame in 2012 when he became the first human to break the sound barrier using only his body, reaching speeds of 843.6 mph while clad in a pressurized suit during a 9-mile descent from a capsule more than 23 miles above Earth via a helium balloon.

In the wake of this event, Baumgartner was nicknamed "Felix the Fearless." astonishing the world in 2012 after becoming the first human to break the sound barrier using only his body.

The Austrian, who was part of the Red Bull Stratos team, reached a top speed of 843.6 mph (the equivalent of 1.25 times the speed of sound) during a nine-minute descent, provoking the admiration and respect of the extreme sports world and many people who were impressed by his recklessness.

Millions of people watched his jump live on YouTube

Felix Baumgartner undoubtedly wanted to go down in history with his daring and recklessness, which he achieved in 2012 when millions of people were able to follow the event live on YouTube. The Austrian calmly gave a thumbs up as he exited the capsule high above the Earth, and then activated his parachute as he was speeding towards the ground.

The Austrian made a name for himself in this discipline after making thousands of jumps from airplanes, bridges, skyscrapers, world-famous locations, and even the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, supported by the military training he received for many years. years.

Other jumps

In other jumps and events of this nature, in 2003 he flew over the English Channel on a carbon fiber wing after being thrown from a plane. In recent years, he performed with The Flying Bulls as a helicopter pilot in shows across Europe.

But his words upon landing after breaking the speed of sound in 2012 are still remembered: "When I was up there on top of the world, I became so humbled that I didn't think about breaking records or obtaining scientific data anymore. All I wanted was to come back alive," he said after landing in the eastern New Mexico desert.

The altitude from which he jumped also marked the highest ever reached by a skydiver, breaking the previous record set in 1960 by Joe Kittinger, who served as an advisor to Baumgartner during his feat.