Felix Baumgartner’s cause of death revealed after daredevil paraglider's fatal crash

The extreme athlete, 56, reportedly lost control of his aircraft on in Porto Sant'Elpidio, in the Marche region.

According to Italian media, the Austrian plummeted to the ground and crashed into the pool of a hotel complex.

Attorney General Raffaele Iannella, who is leading the investigation into his death, told BID that autopsies on his body are currently being run at the forensic medicine department at nearby Fermo hospital.

"What we know for sure so far: Baumgartner died on impact, his spine fractured in the lower part of his back, and his spinal cord was damaged," he said.

It comes after preliminary information appeared to suggest that Baumgartner was already dead when the collision occurred.

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Investigators reportedly suspect that a camera attached to Baumgartner's paraglider may have plunged into the propellor, triggering a break.

They are reportedly working to access to the camera for a full timeline of the crash.

Baumgartner is thought to have complained of feeling unwell while his paraglider was airborne before he lost control of the craft shortly after, with preliminary information indicating he was already dead when the collision occurred.

Porto Sant’Elpidio’s mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, said reports suggest Baumgartner may have suffered a sudden medical issue mid-air, and offered the town’s condolences for the death of "a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flights".

Shortly before his death, the sporting sensation posted a video to social media showing himself paragliding in circles over a field.

Baumgartner was internationally known for his spectacular jumps and rose to global fame in 2012 when he successfully completed a jump from the edge of space.

Armed only with a pressure suit and a parachute, he set three world records as he free-fell to Earth from the stratosphere at a blistering speed of 843.6mph, breaking the sound barrier.

After four minutes of falling, he opened his parachute and safely glided down to land in New Mexico.

Before setting his sights on space, Baumgartner was an accomplished skydiver who had completed thousands of jumps.