Air Force officer dies after fall while rappelling before UTSA’s game against Navy at Alamodome
An Air Force officer died from his injuries after falling from the rafters before UTSA’s game against Navy at the Alamodome Saturday night.
The game was UTSA’s Salute to the Armed Forces and Veterans Night and featured officers rappelling onto the field before kickoff. One of the officers fell from the top of the field onto the grass below.
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In a statement obtained by multiple media outlets, Nellis Air Force Base said the unidentified officer was from the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, and died of his injuries at a San Antonio area hospital.
The man received medical treatment before being placed on a stretcher and removed from the field.
UTSA said in a statement that it was “deeply saddened by the incident,” but no update on the officer’s condition was immediately given. In videos of the fall, the crowd made an audible sound as the military officer hit the turf. He began his descent higher than the hanging scoreboard.
The American Conference said it consulted with both teams after the fall.
“The USA Conference is deeply saddened by the incident that occurred this evening at the Alamodome,” the statement said. “Our thoughts are with the person involved, their family and colleagues, as well as all those who witnessed or were affected.
“We consulted with representatives of the two participating member institutions, Alamodome leadership, local authorities and a working group to review the available information.
“We respect the family’s privacy and will coordinate any further updates with the appropriate authorities. We are also working with our member institutions to help connect affected individuals to available support resources.”
The game was delayed slightly because of the incident and UTSA won 38-34. The Roadrunners improved to 6-1 overall and 3-0 atop Conference USA, while Navy fell to 2-4 overall and 1-3 in conference play.
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“There was something — you could just tell the energy was gone,” UTSA coach Jeff Traylor said postgame to the crowd after his team took the field. “I’ve never had to deal with anything like this before. It just puts things into perspective. It really does.”
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