Felix Baumgartner's widow shares footage of his fatal paragliding flight as more details emerge

Felix Baumgartner’s widow has shared footage of his fatal paragliding flight.

The legendary daredevil died on Thursday (17 July) in an accident along the eastern coat of Italy.

He is thought to have suffered a sudden medical issue before falling to the ground near a hotel swimming pool in the town of Porto Saint’Elpido.

‘Fearless Felix’s’ wife, Mihaela Radulescu, shared a tribute to the 56-year-old, explaining she had begun filming him taking off, ‘not knowing this would be his last flight of his extraordinary life.’

The Austrian was, of course, well known for his 2012 stunt for Red Bull when he completed the highest skydiver by jumping from the edge of space. He broke records for the incredible feat, becoming the first to fall faster than the speed of sound during the 24-mile leap through the stratosphere.

And tributes were quick to pour in for the legend when the sad news broke earlier this week.

Sharing the footage, Radulescu wrote on X: “I was filming him taking off not knowing that this will be his last flight of his extraordinary life.

“For over 12y 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 went on to say Baumgartner was going home ‘up there, where he was the happiest ever.’

Radulescu thanked people for their support for keeping his unique legacy high as she continued: “This man was truly special, in so many ways, and I’ll make sure I’ll keep telling his story. But now…., I have to deal with the shock, the pain, the sunrises where I get to make just one coffee, not two…”

I was filming him taking off not knowing that this will be his last flight of his extraordinary life.

For over 12y 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… pic.twitter.com/9imwjV9Xbn

— miha schwartzenberg (@mihaschw) July 19, 2025

In the clip, Felix can be seen getting the motor ready on his back and running across the grass as his propellor starts spinning, just as he had done so many times before.

And he’s soon up in the air, flying away from the camera and into the blue skies.

Witnesses told The Associated Press that they heard a large boom on Thursday afternoon as they saw Baumgartner spin out of control.

"Everything was normal, then it started to spin like a top," Mirella Ivanov said. "It went down and we heard a roar. In fact, I turned around because I thought it crashed on the rocks."

The mayor confirmed the legend’s death on social media, as he said: “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.”