Felix Baumgartner, the legendary Austrian daredevil known for his record-breaking skydive from the edge of space, has tragically died at age 56 following a paragliding accident in Italy.

The accident occurred in Porto Sant’Elpidio, a coastal city in central Italy where Baumgartner had been vacationing. Local firefighters responded to the scene and found the crashed paraglider near a swimming pool. Witnesses described a horrifying moment as the glider spiraled out of control before slamming into the ground.

“Everything was normal, then it started to spin like a top,” said Mirella Ivanov, who witnessed the crash while with her children. “It went down and we heard a roar. In fact, I turned around because I thought it crashed on the rocks.”

The town’s mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, confirmed the death and shared condolences on Facebook: “Our community is deeply affected by the tragic disappearance of Felix Baumgartner, a figure of global prominence, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight.”

Baumgartner became a global sensation in 2012 when he ascended roughly 24 miles above Earth in a helium balloon before jumping from the stratosphere. The feat, known as the Red Bull Stratos mission, made him the first person to break the sound barrier without a vehicle, reaching speeds of 843.6 mph during his freefall.

His daring leap shattered multiple world records, including the highest parachute jump and the fastest freefall. The mission took five years of intense training and planning, and Baumgartner was mentored by Joe Kittinger—the previous record holder who jumped from 102,000 feet in 1960.

“I was only afraid of the things that were not on the list,” Baumgartner told Red Bull in a post-jump interview, referring to the many potential emergency scenarios they had prepared for. “To this day, I abort missions if the conditions are not right.”

Baumgartner’s career in extreme sports spanned decades. He began skydiving at 16 and refined his skills in the Austrian military. In 1988, he partnered with Red Bull, which would go on to sponsor many of his gravity-defying stunts.

He was also a seasoned BASE jumper, holding both the highest and lowest BASE jump records in 1999. His high jump took place from the 88th floor of the Petronas Towers in Malaysia, while the low jump was a daring leap from the hand of Rio’s Christ the Redeemer statue.

Outside of jumping, Baumgartner was a licensed helicopter pilot and flew with Red Bull’s aerial stunt team. “Ever since I was a child, I have always wanted to jump out of a plane,” he once said.

Though his feats earned admiration worldwide, Baumgartner’s outspoken political opinions drew criticism. He made controversial statements online, mocking climate activists and expressing opposition to LGBTQ rights. He also publicly praised Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán for his hardline immigration policies.

Felix Baumgartner leaves behind a legacy defined by fearlessness, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of pushing human limits—both in the air and on the ground.