Skydiver sets speed and YouTube record

Remarkable images of a man free-falling from the edge of space have set new records, not just for daredevil stunts but for live online viewing, as more than 8m people watched the Red Bull Stratos stunt on YouTube.

Felix Baumgartner, 43, became the first skydiver to break the speed of sound as he jumped from an altitude of 128,100 feet above New Mexico on Sunday, falling at an estimated 833.9 miles an hour (Mach 1.24) during his 10-minute descent.

“On the step, I felt that the whole world is watching,” Mr Baumgartner said after the event. “I said I wish they would see what I see. It was amazing.”