Austrian extreme-sports pioneer Felix Baumgartner died on Thursday after crashing his motorised paraglider in Porto Sant’Elpidio, a seaside town in Italy’s central Marche region, local police said. He was 56. Police officials said Baumgartner lost control of the craft while flying above the Adriatic coast and fell near the swimming-pool area of a hotel complex. Investigators are examining whether a sudden medical problem contributed to the accident. No hotel guests were seriously hurt; one employee sustained minor injuries, according to the resort operator. Porto Sant’Elpidio’s mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, described the Austrian as “a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight.” Baumgartner gained global fame on 14 October 2012 when, sponsored by Red Bull Stratos, he jumped from a balloon-lifted capsule 24 miles (38 km) above Roswell, New Mexico. The descent made him the first skydiver to break the sound barrier, hitting a top speed of about 833 mph (1,343 kph). His career also included BASE jumps from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. Authorities said the inquiry into Thursday’s crash is ongoing.