Air Force specialist dies after rappelling fall at a college football game

An Air Force specialist died Saturday night after he fell while rappelling from the Alamodome ceiling down to the football field before a University of Texas at San Antonio football game where the military was honored.

According to Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs, the man who died was one of four military service members who were scheduled to rappel before UTSA’s annual Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans game against Navy.

Rappelling death at UT San Antonio game

What we know:

The Air Force said the service member was assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2. He was treated on the field for several minutes then taken to a local hospital, where he later died. 

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According to an Air Force website, the service members who were participating in the rappelling demonstration were part of a team of specialists who embed with Army and Marine units and help to direct air and artillery strikes from forward ground locations.

Part of their training includes learning to rapidly drop by rope, sometimes from helicopters that are 100 feet or more above the ground.

The game was delayed for about 10 minutes.

What they're saying:

In a statement after the game, UTSA offered counseling service contacts for students and said: "We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the start of tonight’s game. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the soldier who was affected, his family and his military colleagues."

After the game, UTSA Coach Jeff Traylor told reporters that the accident was "heartbreaking" and "tragic."

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He said the 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, although Traylor had only been told there had been an "incident" that would delay the start of the game by about 10 minutes.

"You could tell the energy was just gone," he said. "It just really puts things in perspective. It really does."

What we don't know:

The man has not been identified, and authorities have not said what caused the fall. 

Video shared on social media

A video of the fall was posted on social media. It showed the man in combat fatigues quickly fall to the ground feet first. 

It happened with fans in the stands and a band assembled nearby on the field. 

The Source: This report includes information from The Associated Press.