Air Force Service Member Dies After Fall During College Football Game
A service member fell more than 150 feet from the Alamodome rafters before a Navy-UTSA game.
An Air Force service member has died from injuries sustained in a fall from the Alamodome rafters before a college football game on Saturday night. The service member was one of four repelling from the ceiling prior to the Navy-University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) football game when the incident occurred.
Clips of the accident showed the service member hitting the ground. Medics at the Alamodome provided immediate aid before the individual was transported to a local hospital. The death was confirmed by Air Force officials.
The deceased Airman was assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, which trains tactical air controllers and operates from multiple bases in Texas.
Witnesses described a stunned silence falling over the crowd following the fall. The American Conference, which includes both Navy and UTSA, released a statement expressing sadness for the incident and offering thoughts to the service member's family and colleagues. UTSA also issued a statement of condolence and activated wellbeing services for its campus community.
Despite the pre-game accident, the football game proceeded after a 10-minute delay, with UTSA defeating Navy 38-34. UTSA coach Jeff Traylor acknowledged the difficult situation for his team, stating that they had minimal information about the incident before taking the field.