MILAN (AP) – Extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner, the first skydiver to fall faster than the speed of sound during a 24-mile leap through the stratosphere more than a decade ago, died in a crash Thursday along the eastern coast of Italy. He was 56.

Italian firefighters who responded said a paraglider crashed into the side of a swimming pool in the city of Porto Sant Elpidio.

The city’s mayor confirmed Baumgartner’s death in a social media post.

“Our community is deeply affected by the tragic disappearance of Felix Baumgartner, a figure of global prominence, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight,” Mayor Massimiliano Ciarpella said.

Baumgartner, known as “Fearless Felix,” stunned the world in 2012 when he became the first human to break the sound barrier with only his body. He wore a pressurized suit and jumped from a capsule hoisted more than 24 miles (39 kilometers) above Earth by a giant helium balloon over New Mexico.

The Austrian, who was part of the Red Bull Stratos team, topped out at 843.6 mph – the equivalent of 1.25 times the speed of sound – during a nine-minute descent. At one point, he went into a potentially dangerous flat spin while still supersonic, spinning for 13 seconds, his crew later said.

FILE – Felix Baumgartner of Austria gestures prior to speaking with the media after successfully jumping from a space capsule lifted by a helium balloon in Roswell, N.M., Oct. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

“When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble, you do not think about of breaking records anymore, you do not think of about gaining scientific data. The only thing you want is to come back alive,” he said after landing in the eastern New Mexico desert.

The altitude he jumped from also was the highest-ever for a skydiver, shattering the previous record set in 1960 by Joe Kittinger, who served as an adviser to Baumgartner during his feat.

Baumgartner´s altitude record stood for two years until Google executive Alan Eustace set new marks for the highest free-fall jump and greatest free-fall distance.

In 2012, millions watched YouTube´s livestream as Baumgartner coolly flashed a thumbs-up when he came out of the capsule high above Earth and then activated his parachute as he neared the ground, lifting his arms in victory after he landed.

Baumgartner, a former Austrian military parachutist, made thousands of jumps from planes, bridges, skyscrapers and famed landmarks, including the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil.

In 2003, he flew across the English Channel in a carbon fiber wing after being dropped from a plane.

In recent years, he performed with The Flying Bulls as a helicopter stunt pilot in shows across Europe.

Baumgartner said after his record-breaking jump in 2012 that traveling faster than sound is “hard to describe because you don´t feel it.”

“Sometimes we have to get really high to see how small we are,” he said.

Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.

FILE – The Red Bull Stratos team from left: Col. Joe Kittinger, Art Thompson, Felix Baumgartner, Luke Aikins, Andy Walsh, Jon Clark and Mike Todd pose for photographers after a press conference in Salzburg, Austria, Oct. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Kerstin Joensson, File)

FILE – Austria skydiver Felix Baumgartner holds the Laureus World Action Sportsperson trophy as he poses for pictures during the Year at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, March 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

Legendary skydiver Felix Baumgartner has died.

Felix Baumgartner left the world breathless in 2012 when he leaped from the stratosphere from a height of nearly 39km. Now, fans around the world are choking with the news of his death in a tragic paragliding accident in Italy. At the age of 56, the extreme sports legend ended his extraordinary journey with a fateful fall.

According to European media, the incident occurred on July 17 at the coastal resort of Porto Sant’Elpidio, eastern Italy. While flying a motorized paraglider, Felix Baumgartner suddenly lost control and crashed into the swimming pool of a local hotel.

Initial investigations indicate that he may have suffered a stroke or heart attack in mid-air, leading to the loss of control. Felix died immediately after the strong impact, despite the hotel staff’s attempts to provide first aid. A person working at the hotel also suffered a neck injury from debris, but fortunately his life was not in danger.

Legend Felix Baumgartner dies

Shortly before the accident, Felix Baumgartner posted a short video on social media, saying that the weather conditions were unfavorable and complaining that “the wind was too strong”. This is considered the last moment of this extreme sports legend in public.

Felix Baumgartner was born in 1969 in Salzburg, Austria. He began his skydiving career at the age of 16 and quickly became an icon in the global extreme sports world with a series of jumps from famous structures such as the Petronas Twin Towers (Malaysia), the Christ the Redeemer statue (Brazil), or a flight across the English Channel using a carbon fiber wing.

He rose to fame with the Red Bull Stratos project in 2012, when he broke the sound barrier by jumping from 39km into the stratosphere and reaching a speed of 1,357km/h, becoming the first person in the world to break the sound barrier unaided.

The jump was televised live around the world and attracted hundreds of millions of viewers, becoming one of the most memorable sporting milestones of the past decade.

Skydiver famous for his great jump from the edge of space

In addition to skydiving, Baumgartner has also tried his hand at other sports, including motor racing and boxing. He won a boxing match in 1992 and joined the Audi Motorsport team in 2013. That same year, he was honored with the Laureus award for “Action Sportsman of the Year.”

Felix Baumgartner’s sudden passing leaves a huge void in the world of extreme sports. A longtime partner of his wrote in a statement: “Felix was born to fly. His courage, vision and relentless drive to push the limits will forever be an inspiration to generations to come.”

With a series of achievements and marks left behind, Baumgartner is considered one of the pioneers, contributing to shaping a new look for modern adventure sports.