A U.S. Air Force service member lost his life Saturday night after falling to the field during a pregame aerial demonstration at the Alamodome in downtown San Antonio, military officials confirmed.
Video footage from inside the stadium captured the moment the airman descended on a rope from the stadium’s upper structure before losing control and plummeting to the turf below. Horrified fans watched as the serviceman lay motionless at midfield.
A spokesperson for Nellis Air Force Base confirmed the individual was transported by golf cart off the field and rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The service member’s identity has not been publicly released.
The airman was assigned to the U.S. Air Force’s 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, according to the official statement from Nellis Air Force Base. Military officials have launched a formal investigation into what caused the fall.
The incident unfolded before the University of Texas at San Antonio faced the Naval Academy in a game that had been delayed following the tragedy. UTSA ultimately defeated Navy after the postponed kickoff.
The university had organized the evening’s pregame events specifically to honor active-duty military personnel and veterans. In a statement released Saturday night, UTSA expressed deep sorrow over what had occurred.
“We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the start of tonight’s football game,” the university said. “Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the soldier who was affected, his family and his military colleagues.”
Witnesses described a chaotic and emotional scene as a person sprinted from the sideline toward the fallen airman immediately after the fall. The stadium fell silent as medical personnel responded and the service member was removed from the field.
The Alamodome is owned and operated by the city of San Antonio. City officials had not responded to requests for comment as of Sunday.