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Emergency responders react to an accident before UTSA\u2019s annual Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans football game at the Alamodome, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Cody Duty\/The San Antonio Express-News via AP)<\/p>\n
Cody Duty\/Cody Duty\/The San Antonio Expres<\/p>\n
Emergency responders react to an accident before UTSA\u2019s annual Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans football game at the Alamodome, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Cody Duty\/The San Antonio Express-News via AP)<\/p>\n
Cody Duty\/Cody Duty\/The San Antonio Expres<\/p>\n
Emergency responders react to an accident before UTSA\u2019s annual Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans football game at the Alamodome, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Cody Duty\/The San Antonio Express-News via AP)<\/p>\n
Cody Duty\/Cody Duty\/The San Antonio Expres<\/p>\n
Emergency responders react to an accident before UTSA\u2019s annual Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans football game at the Alamodome, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Cody Duty\/The San Antonio Express-News via AP)<\/p>\n
Cody Duty\/Cody Duty\/The San Antonio Expres<\/p>\n
The U.S. airman who died after a rapid fall while rappelling from the rafters of a stadium before a college football game in Texas was a 15-year service member from Georgia, according to the Air Force.<\/p>\n
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U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ian Patterson died after being taken to a hospital following Saturday’s fall at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Nellis Air Force Base said in a statement. He had been rappelling toward the ground when spectators watched him plunge to the field before Navy’s game against University of Texas at San Antonio.<\/p>\n
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The military says an investigation is underway. The demonstration was part of a pregame program for the crowd during the annual \u201cSalute to Armed Forces and Veterans\u201d game in San Antonio.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis tragedy is felt deeply across the 57th Wing,\u201d U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Scott C. Mills, 57th Wing commander, said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Patterson was a Tactical Air Control Party instructor assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, and served for 15 years, according to the military. He was from Fort Stewart, Georgia, and had numerous decorations and commendations.<\/p>\n
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A video of the fall that was posted on social media showed Patterson in combat fatigues quickly descending to the ground feet first. The fall occurred with fans in the stands and a band and cheerleaders assembled nearby on the field. He was treated on the field for several minutes and taken away.<\/p>\n
The sister of Patterson’s wife declined to comment.<\/p>\n
Game was delayed after emergency response<\/p>\n
Officials delayed the start of the game for about 10 minutes following the fall.<\/p>\n
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UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor said his team could see the effect that it had on the crowd of over 23,000 people as soon as players arrived on the field for the game, which his team won 38-34. Traylor said he had only been told there had been an \u201cincident\u201d that would delay kickoff.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could tell the energy was just gone,\u201d he said. \u201cIt just really puts things in perspective. It really does.\u201d<\/p>\n
The American Conference, which includes UTSA, said in a statement that a discussion about whether the game should proceed at all had taken place between league officials, Alamodome management and local authorities.<\/p>\n
At the time, the conference said, the military had not yet publicly confirmed the death. It made the decision to play the game \u201cin accordance with conference bylaws\u201d and support from other conference members.<\/p>\n
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\u201cRespect for the family\u2019s privacy and adherence to the military\u2019s notification process guided the decision to mitigate speculation about the service member\u2019s medical status and avoid additional distress for his family,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n
Air Force says demonstration included a team of specialists<\/p>\n
Patterson was one of four military service members who were scheduled to participate in the pregame rappelling demonstration.<\/p>\n
According to an Air Force website, the service members who were participating in the rappelling demonstration were part of a team that embeds with Army and Marine units and helps to direct air and artillery strikes from forward ground locations.<\/p>\n
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Part of their training includes learning to rapidly drop by rope, sometimes from helicopters that are 100 feet (about 30 meters) or more above the ground.<\/p>\n
Military rappelling demonstrations have been done at sporting events before.<\/p>\n
In 2016, soldiers rappelled from the ceiling at a major league baseball game<\/a> in Florida and in 2012, pararescue troops with the Kentucky Air National Guard rappelled down the side<\/a> of the University of Louisville stadium.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n