Daredevil's New Mexico skydive called off for now

Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner is seen before the start of his freefall attempt across the English Channel between Dover and Calais, July 31, 2003.

(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)