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Felix Baumgartner Dies in Powered Paraglider Crash in Italy

Officials are probing whether a sudden health issue or mechanical failure caused the crash

paracaidista

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 23: Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner meets with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the United Nations headquarters on October 23, 2012 in New York City. Baumgartner jumped out of a balloon from 128,000 feet above New Mexico, breaking the record for the highest ever freefall, and was the first skydiver to break the sound barrier.   John Moore/Getty Images/AFP== FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==
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En 2012, el atleta se lanzó en caída libre desde más de 38.000 metros de altura
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Overview

  • On July 17 at about 4 p.m. local time, the 56-year-old lost control of his motorized paraglider after reporting illness and plunged into a hotel pool in Porto Sant’Elpidio
  • Emergency responders pronounced Baumgartner dead at the scene and treated a female guest for non-life-threatening injuries
  • Witnesses said he complained of stomach pain before takeoff and authorities are gathering testimony and examining the craft to determine what went wrong
  • Baumgartner rose to fame in 2012 with his Red Bull Stratos mission, breaking the sound barrier during a free fall from roughly 39,000 meters
  • The crash has highlighted the hazards of extreme aviation sports, even for seasoned experts