Skydiver’s 23-mile jump falls victim to winds

Published on 09/10/2012 12:26

Extreme athlete and skydiver Felix Baumgartner has cancelled his planned death-defying 23-mile free fall into the New Mexico desert because of high winds.

The 43-year-old former military parachutist from Austria hopes to become the first skydiver to break the sound barrier and shatter three other world records.

But the weather yesterday forced his team to cancel his planned ascent in a 55-storey, ultra-thin helium balloon that was to take him to the stratosphere. Because the balloon is so delicate, it could only take flight if winds were 2mph or below.

Related Articles

• Fearless Felix sets a marker in his ambitions to join the 23-mile-high club

  SKYDIVING daredevil Felix Baumgartner is more than half-way to his goal of setting a world record for the highest jump.

  1 Comments

• Austrian wings it across channel

  AN EXTREME sports fanatic was celebrating yesterday after successfully flying across the English Channel without any power, using a carbon fibre "wing".