An Air Force service member has died after falling from the rafters of the Alamodome in San Antonio during a pregame military demonstration.
A pregame tribute to the military ended in tragedy at the Alamodome on Saturday night. Just before UTSA played Navy, one of four airmen rappelling from the roof fell to the field below. The airman later died in hospital.
The fall happened just before 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 17, during UTSA’s annual Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans game. Four service members were set to rappel from the stadium roof to the field. One of them appeared to lose control on the way down, slid along the rope and hit the turf.
Medical staff treated the airman on the field before taking him to hospital by stretcher. The Air Force confirmed on Sunday that he had died from his injuries. His name has not been released.
What the crowd saw
Adrian Corey was in the stands and filmed the moment on his phone. He told local station KSAT that he realized something was wrong almost right away. “Once the band started playing, there was a guy that fell down, and started coming down fast,” he said.
Witnesses put the drop at about 170 feet. In videos shared online, the crowd can be heard reacting as the airman hit the field.
The Air Force hasn’t released the deceased airman’s name. It said he was assigned to a training squadron based at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, a unit that trains airmen who work alongside ground troops to coordinate air support.
An ongoing investigation
After the fall, the American Conference said it consulted with both schools, stadium management and local authorities. At the time, the Air Force hadn’t publicly confirmed his condition. The game went ahead.
UTSA said it was “deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the start of tonight’s game.” San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones wrote that she was “deeply saddened to hear of the passing of an Air Force service member.”
The Air Force says the incident is under investigation, and no cause has been given. More information is expected as it becomes available.
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