A member of the U.S. Air Force died Saturday after attempting to rappel from the rafters ahead of a University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA)-Navy football game.
The service member, whose identity has not yet been released by the Air Force, was rushed to a local hospital after the fall, where he later died.
Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs said the airman was assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, according to The Associated Press.
The tragedy unfolded during UTSA’s annual Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans game, an event meant to honor those who serve. The airman was one of four service members scheduled to take part in the pregame rappelling demonstration.
An investigation into the incident is now underway.
A video circulating on social media shows the man falling feet first from the ceiling. He was treated on the field for several minutes before being carried away on a gurney.
UTSA addressed the devastating incident in a statement posted to social media Saturday.
“We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the start of tonight’s football game,” the university said.
The school also said it was taking steps to support those on campus who may have been shaken by what happened.
“We recognize that members of our campus community may be emotionally affected by this incident and are activating wellbeing services to support our faculty, staff and students,” UTSA added.
The game was delayed by 10 minutes following the fall.
After the game, UTSA football coach Jeff Traylor told reporters that the accident was “heartbreaking” and “tragic,” according to The Associated Press.
The death cast a somber shadow over a game designed to pay tribute to members of the armed forces and veterans. The pregame demonstration was intended to showcase the skills of the four service members who were set to rappel from the rafters before kickoff, but the moment instead turned to tragedy in front of those gathered for the event.
The Air Force has not released the name of the service member who died, and officials have not provided further details about what caused the fall.
Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs confirmed the airman’s assignment to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, but no additional information about the service member has been made public.
UTSA’s statement did not provide details on the cause of the incident, focusing instead on expressing sorrow and offering support to students, faculty and staff affected by what they witnessed.
The investigation is expected to examine what went wrong during the demonstration, which was meant to be a highlight of the school’s annual tribute to the military.
The incident has drawn wide attention after video of the fall spread across social media, showing the frightening moment the service member dropped from the ceiling and the several minutes of treatment he received on the field before being taken away.
For now, questions remain about how the accident happened as the Air Force and investigators work to piece together the events that led to the airman’s death on a night meant to honor his fellow service members.
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