The extreme athlete died after losing control of his motorised paraglider while flying over Porto Sant’Elpidio in Italy.
News broke yesterday that he fell to the ground near a hotel swimming pool, but that the cause of the accident was not yet clear.
He was 56.
Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief of Guinness World Records said: “Parachutist, BASE jumper, skydiver, helicopter stunt pilot… Felix was never more alive than when staring death in the face. His passion for pushing the limits of what a human can do culminated in him making that incredible leap from the edge of space in 2012 – an audacious undertaking that rightly made him a household name and earned him his place in the record books.
“We were lucky enough to witness Felix’s supersonic jump over Roswell and present him with his official GWR certificate. It’s sad to think that we’ll never get the chance to celebrate any more epic achievements from Fearless Felix.”
Felix became an iconic record holder on 14 October 2012 when he jumped from a capsule at the edge of space, 38,969.4 m (127,852 ft) above New Mexico, USA.
The Austrian daredevil fell 36,402.6 m (119,431.1 ft) for 4 min 20 sec before deploying his parachute and landing safely back on Earth, earning him the record for farthest distance in freefall without a drogue.
The epic stunt – the Red Bull Stratos mission – also earned him the record for fastest speed in freefall after he hit a speed of 1,357.6 km/h (843.6 mph).
That blistering speed also made Felix the first human to break the sound barrier in freefall.
His ascent in a helium-filled balloon also earned records for highest altitude untethered outside a vehicle and largest balloon with a human on board.
And his jump was seen by so many people – eight million – that it was the largest audience for a livestream ad.
A Red Bull spokesperson said in a statement: “We are shocked and overwhelmed with sadness to hear the devastating news of our longtime friend Felix Baumgartner.
“Felix was ‘born to fly’ and was determined to push the limits. He was also smart, professional, thorough and meticulous, never leaving anything to chance. He was generous, giving much of his time to help, and inspired so many people.
“We remember Felix as a lovely person, devoted to his family and friends, to whom we send our heartfelt sympathy.
