Tag Archives: Stratospheric

Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner, the first human to break the sound barrier with his body during a leap from the stratosphere, is dead at 56. Baumgartner died Wednesday (July 16) during a paragliding flight in coastal Italy, according to an Associated Press report citing an Italian official. The paraglider crashed into a swimming pool edge in Porto Sant’Elpidio, AP’s report …

Jul 17, 2025, 05:31 PM ET MILAN — Extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner, the first skydiver to fall faster than the speed of sound during a 24-mile leap through the stratosphere more than a decade ago, died in a crash Thursday along the eastern coast of Italy, according to an official. He was 56. Italian firefighters who responded said a paraglider …