U.S. service member died from fall before Navy-UTSA game

A member of the Air Force has died from his injuries after he fell while attempting to rappel from the rafters of the Alamodome during a pregame demonstration before UTSA’s football game against Navy on Saturday, the Air Force said.

Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs issued a statement saying the service member, who was assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, was injured at the stadium and died at a local hospital.

The incident is under investigation. The Air Force base did not release the service member’s identity.

As part of a pregame ceremony for UTSA’s annual Salute to Armed Forces & Veterans game, four officers were set to rappel down to the field 15 minutes before kickoff. The officer appeared to lose control while descending, sliding down the line and crashing to the turf.

Medical personnel immediately attended to the officer, and he was taken from the Alamodome on a stretcher and transported to the hospital.

“We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the start of tonight’s game,” UTSA said in a statement. “Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the soldier who was affected, his family and his military colleagues.”

The school said it was activating well-being services to support faculty, staff and students who might be emotionally affected by the incident.

The game was played after the kickoff was delayed by 10 minutes. Afterward, UTSA coach Jeff Traylor told reporters that the accident was “heartbreaking” and “tragic.”

He said the team could see the effect that it had on the crowd of over 23,000 people as soon as players arrived on the field, although Traylor had only been told there had been an “incident” that would delay the start of the game.

“You could tell the energy was just gone,” he said. “It just really puts things in perspective. It really does.”

According to an Air Force website, the service members who were participating in the rappelling demonstration were part of a team of specialists who embed with Army and Marine units and help to direct air and artillery strikes from forward ground locations. Part of their training includes learning to rapidly drop by rope, sometimes from helicopters that are 100 feet or more above the ground.

“I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of an Air Force service member following an unfortunate accident at Saturday’s UTSA-Navy football game,” San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said in a social media post. “We will keep his family in our prayers. May perpetual light shine upon him.”

ESPN’s Max Olson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.