Felix Baumgartner, who once broke the world record for the highest skydive by jumping from the edge of space, has died in a paragliding accident in Italy.
The 56-year-old fell to the ground near the swimming pool of a hotel while flying over the village of Porto Sant’Elpidio in the eastern Marche region.
The Austrian daredevil made headlines in 2012 when he broke the world record for the highest-ever skydive, jumping from a balloon more than 39km (128,000 ft) up in the stratosphere.
He also set the world record for the highest parachute jump in 1999, when he launched himself from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
Porto Sant’Elpidio’s mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, said reports suggested he may have suffered a sudden medical issue mid-air, and offered the town’s condolences over the death of “a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flights”.