Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian base jumper and skydiver renowned for his record-breaking jump from the stratosphere, died while paragliding in Italy on Thursday, local media reported.

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.

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.