Air Force Airman Dies After Falling During Pregame Rappelling Demo

An Air Force airman died after falling from the rafters of the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, during a pregame demonstration before Saturday’s college football game between the University of Texas at San Antonio and Navy.

Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs confirmed Sunday that the service member, assigned to Detachment 2 of the 6th Combat Training Squadron, was hurt at the stadium and later died at a local hospital. The Air Force has not released his name, and the cause of the fall remains under investigation.

Four members of the detachment were scheduled to descend by rope from the stadium’s roughly 170-foot ceiling about 15 minutes before kickoff as part of UTSA’s annual Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans game. Video posted to X shows one airman appearing to lose control of his descent midway down and plunging to the turf as spectators screamed.

Medical personnel and UTSA staff reached him within moments and worked on him on the field for about 10 minutes before he was carried off on a stretcher. The San Antonio Fire Department took him to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.

“Everybody was quiet, the band stopped performing. Everybody was dead silent,” a witness told KSAT.

The detachment, which operates out of Joint Base San Antonio, screens and trains airmen for the Tactical Air Control Party career field — specialists who embed with Army and Marine ground units to direct air and artillery strikes. Roping down from helicopters hovering 100 feet or more above the ground is part of that training.

Kickoff was delayed about 10 minutes, and a moment of silence was held before the game began. UTSA beat Navy 38-34 in front of some 23,000 fans.

“We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the start of tonight’s football game,” a UTSA spokesperson said. The university said it was offering wellbeing services to students, faculty and staff.

The American Conference said it consulted with both schools, Alamodome management and local authorities, and would coordinate any further updates with officials while respecting the family’s privacy.

San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said she was saddened by the airman’s death and would keep his family in her prayers.

The accident comes nine months after a parachutist with a veteran jump team snagged on goalpost netting and fell into the stands before the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth. That parachutist walked away unhurt.

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