Air Force service member dies after pregame rappelling fall at UTSA-Navy game

An Air Force service member died after falling during a rappelling demonstration before UTSA’s football game against Navy at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Saturday. Yahoo Sports reported that Nellis Air Force Base confirmed the death in a statement, saying the service member had been taken to a hospital in the San Antonio area after being injured at the stadium.

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The demonstration was part of UTSA’s annual Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans game. Four military personnel were scheduled to descend from the stadium rafters before the coin toss, the San Antonio Express-News reported. One fell to the field during the descent. Emergency personnel attended to him on the playing surface before he was removed on a stretcher and taken for further treatment.

Texas Public Radio reported that San Antonio Fire Department spokesperson Joe Arrington confirmed one person had been transported to hospital as a Priority 1 patient. That designation is generally used for someone needing immediate medical attention. Arrington did not provide further details about the patient’s condition in that initial account, which was published before the subsequent confirmation of the death.

Nellis Air Force Base identified the service member’s unit as the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, according to Yahoo Sports. His name had not been publicly released in the reports available on Sunday. The Associated Press reported that an investigation was underway into the incident. The cause of the fall had not been established in those reports.

UTSA expressed sadness over the incident in a statement after the game and offered support to the service member’s family and military colleagues. The university also acknowledged that members of its campus community could be emotionally affected. Its response included information about counselling services for students, according to the Associated Press.

Kickoff was delayed by approximately 10 minutes, and the game subsequently went ahead, with UTSA defeating Navy 38-34. Afterward, Roadrunners coach Jeff Traylor described the incident as tragic and heartbreaking. He said the change in the crowd’s mood was apparent when the team arrived on the field, the Associated Press reported.