Air Force Service Member Suffers Fatal Fall From Rafters During ‘Salute to Armed Forces’ Rappel Demonstration

An Air Force airman died Saturday night after losing control during a rappelling demonstration and falling to the field before the UTSA-Navy football game in San Antonio.

Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada confirmed to Task & Purpose that the airman belonged to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, and died at a hospital from injuries he suffered at the Alamodome. The base withheld his name and said officials have opened an investigation.

The airman was one of four military members scheduled to descend from the stadium rafters roughly 15 minutes ahead of kickoff, ESPN reported, as part of the school’s annual Salute to Armed Forces & Veterans game. He appeared to lose his grip partway down, slid along the rope and struck the turf near midfield. The drop measured about 170 feet. (RELATED: Rider’s Fatal Fall Captured In Rollercoaster Souvenir Photo: REPORT)

Medical crews worked on him for close to 10 minutes before carrying him out and moving him as a Priority 1 patient, Daily Voice reported. KSAT reported that staff surrounded him on the field and that he left the stadium on a golf cart. The Air Force later confirmed he had not survived.

We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the start of tonight’s football game. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the soldier who was affected, his family and his military colleagues. We recognize that members of our campus community may be emotionally affected by this incident and are activating wellbeing services to support our faculty, staff and students. (1/2)

Fans watched the fall in stunned silence. “Once the band started playing, there was a guy that fell down, and started coming down fast,” witness Adrian Corey told KSAT. “Everybody was quiet, the band stopped performing, everybody was dead silent.”

Another witness, Siomara Corey, told the station, “It was a very sad moment and we don’t know (his condition). There was no updates after that other than asking for prayers, but it did not look good.”

UTSA expressed grief over the accident. “We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the start of tonight’s game,” the university said in a statement. The school opened crisis and counseling services for students and employees shaken by what they saw, KSAT reported. Head coach Jeff Traylor called the scene “heartbreaking” and “tragic,” according to ESPN.

Officials delayed kickoff by 10 minutes and played the game, which UTSA won 38-34, Daily Voice reported.

The 6th Combat Training Squadron prepares service members to become Tactical Air Control Party airmen, terminal air controllers who embed with ground troops and coordinate airstrikes, according to Task & Purpose. The cause of the fall remains unknown.