A US Air Force service member has died after falling more than 150 feet from the rafters of the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, during a pregame demonstration before Saturday night’s football game between Navy and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA).
Air Force officials confirmed the death following the incident, which occurred as four service members were rappelling from the stadium ceiling ahead of the match. The victim’s identity had not been publicly released.
The deceased Airman was assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, a unit responsible for training tactical air controllers and operating from several bases across Texas.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fall.
Witnesses Describe Silence After the Fall
Video footage recorded from different angles showed the service member falling from the stadium rafters and striking the field as thousands of spectators watched.
Medical personnel at the Alamodome rushed to assist him before he was taken from the field and transported to a local hospital, according to initial reports from the San Antonio Express-News.
Witness Adrian Corey told KSAT that the atmosphere inside the stadium changed immediately after the accident.
“Everybody was quiet, the band stopped performing. Everybody was dead silent,” Corey said.
His mother, Siomara, described the uncertainty that followed the incident, saying there were no further updates apart from requests for prayers.
“There was no updates after that other than asking for prayers, but it did not look good,” she told KSAT.
Football Game Delayed Before Kick-Off
Despite the accident, the Navy-UTSA game proceeded after a delay of approximately 10 minutes.
UTSA eventually defeated Navy 38-34, with players joining a group prayer for the injured service member after the game.
Roadrunners quarterback Owen McCown said the team would continue to keep the Airman and those affected by the incident in their thoughts.
“I know we said a prayer postgame, but they’ll continue being our thoughts and prayers, and really thinking about them,” McCown told reporters.
A similar rappelling demonstration had taken place without incident before a 2025 football game between Army and UTSA at the same stadium.
UTSA Offers Counselling to Students and Staff
UTSA issued a statement expressing sadness over the incident and extending its support to the service member’s family and military colleagues.
“We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the start of tonight’s football game. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the soldier who was affected, his family and his military colleagues,” a university spokesperson said.
The university also said it was activating wellbeing services for members of its campus community who might have been emotionally affected by the accident.
Counselling services were made available to students requiring assistance following the incident.
American Conference Expresses Condolences
The American Conference, which includes Navy and UTSA, released a statement expressing concern about the pregame accident before the Airman’s death was announced.
“The American Conference is deeply saddened by tonight’s pregame incident at the Alamodome,” the statement said.
The conference said it had consulted representatives from both participating institutions, stadium management, local authorities and a working group to review the information available.
It also said it would coordinate further updates with the appropriate authorities while respecting the family’s privacy.
The organisation added that it was working with its member institutions to connect people affected by the incident with support services.
UTSA Coach Describes Uncertainty Before the Game
UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor said he had limited information about the accident while preparing his players to take the field.
He explained that he was told an incident had occurred and that kick-off would be delayed, but no further details were provided at the time.
“The only information I had was there had been an incident, and the game was going to be delayed, and we didn’t expand upon it any further than that,” Traylor said, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
The coach said he was unsure how best to address the situation with his team because he did not know what had happened.
“What I heard that happened is heartbreaking, but I want to give the family time,” he added. “They’re in our prayers. It’s tragic.”
Spectators and Online Users Share Reactions
The incident also prompted reactions from spectators who attended the game.
Social media personality Freddy, who was present at the stadium, said he had stopped posting updates during the event because of the serious accident.
In a post on X, he acknowledged UTSA’s victory over Navy while expressing sympathy for the service member and his family.
The fatal fall remains under investigation, with officials yet to publicly identify the Airman or provide further details about the circumstances that led to the accident.
