Felix Baumgartner, a daredevil and extreme athlete, died on Thursday after a paragliding accident in Italy. He was 56 years old.

The incident occurred in Porto Sant’Elpidio on the Adriatic coast when Baumgartner reportedly suffered cardiac arrest and lost consciousness mid-air before crashing into a hotel swimming pool, according to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

A female employee was struck by the glider and taken to the hospital with neck injuries.

Earlier on Thursday, Baumgartner had posted a photo on his Instagram Story of a Red Bull-branded windsock with the caption “Too much wind.”

Baumgartner was a world-class BASE jumper and skydiver who rose to international fame in 2012 when he jumped from a balloon about 25 miles above the Earth. He broke the sound barrier during his descent, reaching a speed of 843 mph.

The jump, watched by millions on a livestream, was also the highest recorded manned balloon flight and the highest ever freefall at the time.

“When you’re standing on top of the world, you don’t think of records any more, all you think is that you want to come back alive,” he said after completing the feat.

Baumgartner was also known for jumping the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the then-tallest building in the world, and the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. He also crossed the English Channel on a specially designed carbon wing.

In more recent years, the Austrian-born athlete sparked controversy when he criticized Austria and Germany’s immigration policies and called for “a moderate dictatorship.” On top of supporting right-wing politicians, he recommended Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016.

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