FELIX Baumgartner’s grieving partner has shared footage of the daredevil’s doomed final paragliding flight.
The Austrian athlete, 56, most famous for jumping to Earth from the edge of space, tragically lost his life in an accident while on holiday in Italy last week.
X/@mihaschwFelix’s bereaved partner posted a clip of his beginning his final flight[/caption]
X/@mihaschwHe can be seen disappearing off into the sky for the last time[/caption]
X/@mihaschwFelix is thought to have suffered a cardiac arrest during the flight[/caption]
Shutterstock EditorialFelix Baumgartner reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest before crashing into a swimming pool[/caption]
His partner, Michela Radulescu, revealed how she held his hand in his dying moments – after he suffered a suspected cardiac arrest midair and crashed into a swimming pool.
A clip shared by Michela on social media shows the moment the adrenaline junkie took off from a field to begin the flight.
Wearing shorts and a crash helmet, Felix fires up his propeller pack and runs across the grass – as he had done so many times.
The wing fills with air and lifts him up from the ground, and he tucks up his legs.
Felix soars high into the cloudless blue sky, getting smaller and smaller, accompanied by the soft sound of the motor.
Michela, 55, a Romanian TV presenter, said she watched him disappear “not knowing that this would be his last flight of his extraordinary life”.
In a heartbreaking video posted to X, Michela says: “For over 12 years I was there for every take off and landing, from skydiving, paragliding, helicopter flights, paramotor to aerobatic shows.
“And when I couldn’t be there for some heli flights, we had the WLC code – “the Wifey Landing Call”. Never missed one. Except …this one.”
She said that her “truly special” was “going home now, up there, where he was the happiest ever”.
In a tribute Felix, Michela wrote in : “He died doing what he loved the most – flying – in a happy place we came for the third time, with me holding his hands and shouting at him to FIGHT. The first fight he lost…
“Keep telling his story, specially to your kids – in a world full of Dreamers, teach them about the Dreamer who made all his dreams come true, working damn hard for every single one of them.”
The Red Bull-sponsored athlete became a household name when he jumped to Earth from a space helium balloon in 2012.
He set world records for skydiving an estimated 24 miles and reaching an estimated top speed of Mach 1.25 (843.6mph).
The stunt also made him the first person ever to break the sound barrier without vehicular power.
Instagram @therealfelixbaumgartnerFelix Baumgartner’s tragic final post has been revealed[/caption]
Shutterstock EditorialThe daredevil skydiver lost his life in a paragliding accident on Thursday[/caption]
His own tragic final Instagram post also documented the preparation for the flight.
Felix had been flying in a motored paraglider when he is believed to have suffered a “sudden onset of illness.”
This caused him to lose control, with Baumgartner’s glider crashing to the ground and into a hotel swimming pool.
He was reportedly killed instantly in the tragic accident.
Meanwhile, a hotel employee was also injured during Baumgartner’s fall.
They were said to be struck by the paraglider as it hit the ground.
Michela’s tribute to Felix
“For the World, a Legend who inspired so many and achieved so much…
“For his friends and family, the most loved and admired, the most positive, respectful, full of life and joy kid, and the most focused and organized adult when working on anything.
“For his fans, the Hero always smiling back to them, always having time for them, always happy to feel their love.
“For me… the man who loved me like crazy for 13 years, the extraordinary man I loved beyond words, the REAL MAN I respected and had the best time of my life with. And this is an understatement.
“He died doing what he loved the most – flying – in a happy place we came for the third time, with me holding his hands and shouting at him to FIGHT. The first fight he lost…
“Keep telling his story, specially to your kids – in a world full of Dreamers, teach them about the Dreamer who made all his dreams come true, working damn hard for every single one of them.
“Thank you to everyone who payed (sic) respect and showed support for me and his Mom and Dad, for his family and our real good friends.
“I wrote this for him. Pay your respect for FELIX. This unique man deserves the best of all our hearts, thoughts and prayers….”
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