Decorated U.S. Air Force Soldier Dies in Rappelling Stunt Jumping From Top of Football Stadium, Investigation Underway

An airman in the U.S. Air Force died after falling while rappelling off the top of the Alamodome in San Antonio, Tx., during a pregame show before a college football game.

The Air Force has identified the man as Tech. Sgt. Ian Patterson, a 15-year Air Force veteran, who was participating in a demonstration before the University of Texas at San Antonio’s game vs. Navy on Saturday, October 17.

Patterson rappelled from the roof of the Alamodome, a drop of about 170 feet, with other military personnel during the Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans night held each year at UTSA. Spectators watched Patterson fall to the field, and some captured his descent on video from their seats.

“We were just watching this person, the service member, not move,” a spectator who witnessed the incident said.

Firefighters with the San Antonio Fire Department responded to the Alamodome at approximately 7 p.m., according to a report. After receiving emergency medical care at the Alamodome, Patterson was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died.

Patterson was a Tactical Air Control Party instructor from Fort Stewart, Ga. He was also assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, which has its home station at Camp Bullis on Joint Base San Antonio. Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, where the squadron’s headquarters are located, released a statement confirming Patterson’s death.

The service personnel participating in the demonstration were part of a unit that embeds with Army and Marine Corps forces and helps direct air and artillery strikes from forward ground locations, according to a report. Patterson was one of four service personnel scheduled to participate in the demonstration. An Air Force brigadier general with the 57th Wing said, “This tragedy is felt deeply across the 57th Wing.”

The military said it has initiated an investigation into Patterson’s fall. According to a report, it’s unknown if Patterson had previously practiced rappelling from the ceiling at the Alamodome prior to the event. Military rappellers typically slow their rate of descent using a “braking” method, which involves pressing the hand with the free end of the rope against either the hip or the lower back.

San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said on social media that she was sad to learn of his death. The city, which owns the Alamodome, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The stadium fell silent as Patterson received immediate attention from medical professionals before the game, but the teams played as scheduled. The American Athletic Conference said in a statement that “respect for the family’s privacy and adherence to the military’s notification process guided the decision to mitigate speculation about the service member’s medical status and avoid additional distress for his family.”

After the football game, UTSA head football coach Jeff Traylor called the accident “heartbreaking” and “tragic." Patterson was a decorated airman during his 15 years of service.