UPDATE: U.S. Service Member Who Fell While Rappelling At UTSA Game Dies

A military service member has died after he fell hard as he rappelled from the ceiling to midfield before a University of Texas at San Antonio football game, where the military was honored.

Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs said the service member assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, was taken Saturday to a local hospital, where he later died.

An investigation was underway into what led up to the incident at UTSA’s annual Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans game against Navy.

A video of the fall that was posted on social media showed the man, in combat fatigues, quickly descending to the ground feet first. The fall occurred with fans in the stands and a band assembled nearby on the field. He was treated on the field for several minutes and taken away on a gurney.

In a statement after the game, UTSA offered counseling service contacts for students and said, “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.”

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The man, whose identity was not immediately released, was one of four military service members who were scheduled to participate in a rappelling demonstration before Saturday’s game. According to an Air Force website, they were part of a team of specialists who embed with Army and Marine units and help to direct air and artillery strikes from forward ground locations.

Part of their training includes learning to rapidly drop by rope, sometimes from helicopters that are 100 feet or more above the ground.

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