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Tragic end for extreme athletes Baumgartner: paragliding accident in Italy!
Felix Baumgartner, extreme athlete, died on July 17, 2025 in a paragliding accident on the Adriatic coast.
Tragic end for extreme athletes Baumgartner: paragliding accident in Italy!
Felix Baumgartner, known as one of Austria's most spectacular extreme athletes, died on July 17, 2025 at the age of 56 in a tragic paragliding accident on the Adriatic coast in Porto Sant'Elpidio. The incident occurred when he crashed his motorized paraglider and lost control. According to reports, a sudden attack of weakness may have led to the accident, which was also witnessed by an entertainer (whose condition is stable) and several guests in the pool, who were, however, uninjured. While Baumgartner has been less active in sports in recent years, he has become increasingly involved in political issues, which has provoked mixed reactions in his homeland. Radio Ennepe-Ruhr reported that before his death he posted pictures on Instagram - including a blue swimming pool near which the accident occurred.
Of flights of fancy and political abysses
Felix Baumgartner is best known for his iconic stratospheric jump in 2012, in which he jumped from an incredible 39 kilometers and broke the sound barrier in free fall, a feat that also yielded notable records for the highest manned balloon flight and the highest skydive. During the final years of his career he lived in Arbon, Switzerland, ostensibly for tax reasons, and was known for his controversial political views. He was critical of refugee policy and vehemently supported Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, which earned him negative attention in Austria. 20 minutes highlights that in numerous political statements he described democracy as a hindrance to bringing about change.
An unfortunate loss
The tragic accident occurred when Baumgartner lost control of his paragliding device during a glide over the hotel complex and fell into the pool. The Italian fire department and the Foreign Ministry in Vienna confirmed the incident. While an entertainer was injured, the exact cause of his accident remains unclear. Time online reports that Baumgartner posted on Instagram shortly before the accident that there was “too much wind,” but decided to fly anyway. This tragic incident not only leaves a painful loss in the extreme sports scene, but also casts a shadow over his controversial political positions.
Baumgartner's legacy will surely remain in people's minds - both as an extreme athlete who pushed the boundaries of the possible and as a political provocateur.