Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian extreme adventurer who hurtled to earth from more than 24 miles high in 2012 and became the first human to break the sound barrier while free-falling, died on Thursday in a paragliding accident along the Adriatic coast in Italy. He was 56.

Felix Baumgartner, the fearless extreme sportsman behind many legendary stunts, has died. He was 56. According to the Associated Press, Baumgartner died in a paragliding accident in Italy on Thursday. Local officials said Baumgartner crashed into the side of a hotel pool, according to the AP.