According to officials, Baungartner was paragliding in Porto Sant’Elpidio when he lost control of his motorized paraglider and crashed into the side of a hotel swimming pool. According to The Washington Post, the mayor's office believes that Baumgartner suffered a "medical issue" during the accident.

Baumgartner is most well-known for breaking the sound barrier with his body during a freefall from the stratosphere in 2012.