- Tech Sergeant Ian Patterson, a 15-year U.S. Air Force veteran, died after falling 170 feet from the Alamodome stadium ceiling during a pre-game rappelling demonstration in San Antonio, Texas.
- Patterson was a decorated tactical air control party instructor assigned to Joint Base San Antonio, who was previously named the Air Force Special Warfare Enlisted Instructor of the Year in 2022.
- Witnesses described the stadium turning silent and the band stopping after Patterson slipped down the rope and landed motionless on the 50-yard line before being rushed to a hospital.
- The college football game between the University of Texas at San Antonio and Navy proceeded after a 10-minute delay and an official investigation into the cause of the fatal incident has been launched by Nellis Air Force Base.
- “This tragedy is felt deeply across the 57th Wing,” U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Scott C. Mills, 57th Wing commander, said in a statement.
IN FULL
