Space & Astronomy

Man who jumped from the edge of space dies in paragliding accident

By T.K. Randall
July 18, 2025

Image Credit: NASA Back in 2012, Baumgartner made the history books when he jumped from a helium balloon in the Earth's stratosphere and plummeted more than 24 miles at speeds of up to 843.6 mph.

Watched by millions online, his death-defying jump sent him into an uncontrolled spin - but he managed to regain control and land safely, breaking multiple world records in the process.

But luck was sadly not on his side on Thursday when, during a motorized paragliding jump over Italy, he suffered a heart attack in mid-air, resulting in a fatal crash to the ground.

The local mayor paid tribute to "a symbol of courage".Baumgartner had long held a fascination with extreme heights having striven to become a skydiver and a helicopter pilot from a young age.

"I always had the desire to be in the air," he once said.

"I climbed trees, I wanted to see the world from above."

"Sometimes we have to get really high to see how small we are."


Source: The Guardian

Tags: Felix Baumgartner