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A US Air Force serviceman has died after falling from the roof of the Alamodome in San Antonio during a pregame rappelling stunt before a college football game.
A tragic incident unfolded prior to the game. (Screengrab)
A US Air Force serviceman has reportedly died after falling around 150ft from the roof of a stadium during a pregame rappelling stunt in front of thousands of football fans in Texas on Saturday night. The unidentified serviceman was among four military personnel taking part in a display at the Alamodome in San Antonio, ahead of a college football game between the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and Navy.
The stunt took a horrific turn when one of the participants reportedly lost control of his descent and plunged to the ground.
Various reports claim that the serviceman was descending too quickly before hitting the field.
Horrified spectators watched as emergency responders rushed to assist the fallen man.
Medics attended to him on the field before he was taken to a nearby hospital in life-threatening condition by the San Antonio Fire Department.
A spokesperson for Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada later confirmed that the serviceman had died from his injuries.
“The incident is under investigation. More information will be released as it becomes available,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying by The Sun.
The serviceman is reportedly a member of the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2. The unit is associated with training tactical air controllers who work alongside ground forces to coordinate and direct air support.
The incident occurred during UTSA’s annual Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans night, an event held to honour military personnel and veterans.
Over 20,000 fans were reportedly in attendance.
TRIGGER WARNING
⚠️ JUST INA service member fell while rappelling down to present the colors before Saturday’s UTSA–Navy game at the Alamodome in San Antonio. They were rushed to hospital as a priority-one transport, and the extent of their injuries is unclear. https://t.co/6i9jnFbGUo
— DC_Global_News (@DC_Global_News) October 18, 2026
The game was temporarily halted as emergency crews responded to the incident.
Play resumed shortly afterwards, although a fire alarm later caused another brief interruption. The alarm was subsequently determined to be false.
In a statement, UTSA expressed sadness over the incident and extended its condolences to the serviceman’s family and colleagues.
“We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the start of tonight’s football game,” the university said. “Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the soldier who was affected, his family and his military colleagues.”
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Ask News18A US Air Force serviceman tragically died after falling around 150 feet from the roof of the Alamodome stadium in San Antonio during a pregame rappelling stunt.
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Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience …Read More
October 18, 2026, 17:12 IST
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