Image Credit: Jamie McDonald Skydiver and world record breaker Felix Baumgartner died after a tragic accident on July 17, 2025, in Italy - but not from skydiving. He was 56 years old. Known for breaking the world record in 2012 for his stratospheric jump, Baumgartner's death was from a paragliding incident just hours after he shared his final Instagram post. Below, we have a breakdown of what happened to Baumgartner and more on his daredevil career. Who Is Felix Baumgartner? Baumgartner was an Austrian skydiver, BASE jumper and overall daredevil.