Tragedy before a football game – soldier falls from the hall ceiling onto the field and dies

A tragic accident before a football game in San Antonio cost the life of a US soldier. Before the game, the member of the armed forces fell from a great height while abseiling in front of around 23,000 spectators from the ceiling of the Alamodome and hit the field. The man was taken to a local hospital after the accident. He later succumbed to his injuries there, the Nellis Air Force Base press office said.

The fall occurred shortly before the start of the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) college team's annual game against a U.S. Navy team. Three US soldiers demonstrated the so-called fast rope procedure, in which emergency services demonstrate how they slide to the ground on a special rope in an extremely short time. The hall ceiling in the Alamodome is around 52 meters high.

Several videos are circulating on social media in which a man in combat fatigues quickly falls feet first while abseiling. The soldier was treated on the field for several minutes and then taken away on a stretcher.

Deceased soldier had served for 15 years

How this tragedy came about is still unclear. An investigation has been launched to clarify the background to the incident. The deceased soldier was Ian Patterson of Georgia, according to a statement from Nellis Air Force Base. He had been in the service for 15 years.

UTSA coach Jeff Traylor said after the game, which was played despite the incident, that the accident was "heartbreaking" and "tragic." The university also mourned the soldier. "We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the start of today's football game. Our sincere thoughts and prayers go out to the affected soldier, his family and his fellow soldiers," UTSA wrote on Platform X.