The World's Most Famous Extreme Skydiver
Posted "The Wind Is Too Strong" on Social Media Before the Accident
Felix Baumgartner, the 56-year-old Austrian skydiver who achieved the world's first supersonic freefall, has died in a paragliding accident. On July 18, Yonhap News, citing AP and CNN, reported that Baumgartner lost control of his glider while paragliding in Italy and crashed into the swimming pool of a hotel in Porto Sant'Elpidio, where he ultimately died.
Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian skydiver who achieved the world's first supersonic freefall. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News Agency
According to local Italian media, authorities are currently investigating to determine the exact cause of the accident. A hotel employee stated that Baumgartner suffered a neck injury and was transported to the hospital. Notably, just two hours before the accident, he posted on his social media account, "The wind is too strong," a message that, coincidentally, became his last words.
Baumgartner, who referred to himself as the 'God of the Sky,' was considered the world's most famous extreme skydiver. A former paratrooper, he gained worldwide fame by parachuting from the 452m Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1999, as well as from the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2012, he captured global attention by becoming the first person to successfully complete a supersonic skydive. At that time, he ascended to the stratosphere, approximately 39 kilometers above the ground. Before jumping, he said, "Sometimes you have to go really high to understand how small you are. Now I'm going home," and then leapt in freefall.
Baumgartner gained worldwide fame by parachuting from the 452m Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1999, as well as from the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News
His maximum descent speed reached 1,357 km/h, or Mach 1.25. This was the moment he broke through the sound barrier, Mach 1, which is 1,224 km/h. During the jump, Baumgartner was in freefall for 4 minutes and 20 seconds out of a total descent time of about 9 minutes, then deployed his parachute at 1,500 meters above sea level and landed safely on his feet. With this achievement, he became the first person in 65 years to break the sound barrier after American pilot Chuck Yeager (1923?2020), who first surpassed the speed of sound in the X-1 rocket-powered aircraft.
During this challenge, Baumgartner jumped without the aid of any powered device, wearing only a protective suit and helmet to withstand the pressure. He overcame the risk that his body could explode due to pressure differences if the suit was damaged. Later, in a lecture, Baumgartner said, "I didn't want to take risks; I wanted to control them," and added, "To succeed in dangerous endeavors, you must thoroughly prepare for any possible risks."
Red Bull, which had sponsored Baumgartner's record-breaking feats, expressed its condolences in a statement, saying, "We are shocked and saddened by the loss of a long-time friend." Massimiliano Ciarpella, mayor of Porto Sant'Elpidio, also mourned his passing on his official social media account, stating, "The community is deeply shocked by the death of Baumgartner, who was a symbol of courage."
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