Air Force Service Member Dies Following Stunt Gone Terribly Wrong Before Packed House Of College Football Fans

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An Air Force service member has died after a pre-game stunt went horribly wrong before Saturday’s game between the University of Texas at San Antonio and the U.S. Naval Academy.

Nellis Air Force Base confirmed that the service member died from his injuries after he slipped while attempting to rappel from the rafters in front of 23,000 fans at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX.

The airman, who has not been identified, was assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2. Nellis Public Affairs said he was injured when he fell to the field below, and died at a local hospital.

The demonstration was part of a pregame ceremony for the University of Texas at San Antonio’s annual Salute to Armed Forces & Veterans game. The plan was for four officers to rappel from the rafters to the field 15 minutes before kickoff.

One of the officers appeared to slip while descending, and crashed to the turf field in front of the stunned crowd.

USTA said in a statement, “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.”

UTSA coach Jeff Traylor called the accident “heartbreaking” and “tragic.”

Traylor said he was told there was an “incident” that would delay kickoff and learned about the incident when his team took the field.

“You could tell the energy was just gone,” he said of the crowd. “It just really puts things in perspective. It really does,” ESPN reported.

San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones offered her condolences on social media, writing, “I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of an Air Force service member following an unfortunate accident at Saturday’s UTSA-Navy football game. We will keep his family in our prayers. May perpetual light shine upon him.”

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