Felix Baumgartner, the renowned Austrian BASE jumper and skydiver famous for his record-setting jump from the stratosphere, has passed away while paragliding in Italy, according to local media reports.
At 56 years old, Baumgartner lost control of his paraglider, resulting in a crash into a hotel swimming pool in the coastal town of Porto Sant’Elpidio, reported by CNN affiliate SkyTG24.
The apparatus struck a woman who was not seriously injured, according to SkyTG24.
The suit had to be both pressurised and able to handle temperatures of -72 degrees.
“It’s very uncomfortable,” said Baumgartner.
“There is a total lack of mobility. It perpetually feels like you’re inhaling through a pillow. You’re utterly detached from the external environment. Once the visor is lowered, all you can hear is your own breathing.”
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Soon after landing, Baumgartner said he struggled to process his emotions as he approached the Earth.
“I had tears in my eyes when I was coming back a couple of times because you’re sitting there and you thought about that moment so many times, you know, how it would feel and how it would look like,” he said.
“And this is way bigger than I had anticipated.”
