Staff Reports
What was supposed to be a night honoring America’s military turned tragic Saturday when a U.S. Air Force service member fell to his death during a pregame ceremony at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
The airman was participating in a rappelling demonstration before the University of Texas at San Antonio’s football game against Navy as part of UTSA’s annual Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans game.
According to the Associated Press, the service member was one of four military personnel scheduled to descend from the Alamodome rafters onto the playing field.
During the demonstration, the airman fell to the turf near midfield in front of thousands of spectators.
Emergency personnel immediately attended to the injured service member before transporting him to a local hospital, where he later died.
Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs confirmed the death, identifying the airman as a member of the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2. His name had not been publicly released as of Sunday.
Military officials said an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident is underway.
The San Antonio Express-News reported that the squadron trains tactical air controllers who work alongside Army and Marine units, coordinating air and artillery strikes during military operations.
The accident occurred shortly before kickoff and delayed the start of the game by approximately 10 minutes.
UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor acknowledged the emotional impact of the incident on the more than 23,000 spectators in attendance.
“You could tell the energy was just gone,” Traylor told reporters following the game. “It just really puts things in perspective. It really does.”
UT San Antonio President Taylor Eighmy released a statement Sunday expressing the university’s condolences to the airman’s family, fellow service members and others affected by the tragedy.
“What was intended to be a day of camaraderie, tradition and celebration has been marked by profound sadness,” Eighmy said.
Eighmy also emphasized the importance of the university community supporting one another during a time of grief, acknowledging that the tragedy affected far more people than those who witnessed the incident.
The American Athletic Conference released a statement Sunday explaining that representatives of both universities, conference officials, Alamodome management and local authorities discussed the situation before deciding to continue the game.
UTSA defeated Navy 38-34, although the outcome of the football game was overshadowed by the tragedy that occurred before kickoff.
