Oct 9 (Reuters) - An Austrian daredevil called off his
death-defying skydive from a balloon 23 miles (37 km) over the
New Mexico desert on Tuesday due to winds at the launch site.
Felix Baumgartner, a 43-year-old helicopter pilot, hot-air
balloonist and professional skydiver, had been preparing to
break a longstanding altitude record.
But his team announced the launch had been aborted moments
before Baumgartner's balloon was set to carry him aloft over
Roswell, New Mexico.
"Mission aborted due to gusty winds," a statement on the
website of sponsor Red Bull said.
It gave no details.
(Reporting By Irene Klotz; additional reporting by Jane Sutton;
Editing by Doina Chiacu)

