Extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner, the first skydiver to fall faster than the speed of sound during a leap through the stratosphere, died in a paraglider crash. He was 56.

Felix was ‘born to fly’ and was determined to push the limits. He was also smart, professional, thorough, and meticulous, never leaving anything to chance."

Felix Baumgartner, who once broke the world record for the highest skydive by jumping from the edge of space, has died in a motorised 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.