U.S. airman identified after deadly rappel fall during Texas football game - BERITAJA

The U.S. airman who died aft a accelerated autumn while rappelling from the rafters of a stadium earlier a assemblage shot crippled successful Texas was a 15-year work personnel from Georgia, according to the Air Force.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ian Patterson died aft being taken to a infirmary pursuing Saturday’s autumn astatine the Alamodome successful San Antonio, Nellis Air Force Base said successful a statement. He had been rappelling toward the crushed erstwhile spectators watched him plunge to the section anterior to Navy’s crippled against University of Texas astatine San Antonio.

The subject says an investigation is underway. The objection was portion of a pregame programme for the crowd during the yearly “Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans” crippled successful San Antonio.

“This calamity is felt profoundly crossed the 57th Wing,” U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Scott C. Mills, 57th Wing commander, said successful a statement.

Patterson was a Tactical Air Control Party coach assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, and served for 15 years, according to the military. He was from Fort Stewart, Georgia, and had galore decorations and commendations.

A video of the autumn that was posted connected societal media showed Patterson successful combat fatigues quickly descending to the crushed feet first. The autumn occurred pinch fans successful the stands and a set and cheerleaders assembled adjacent connected the field. He was treated connected the section for respective minutes and taken away.

The sister of Patterson’s woman declined to comment.

Officials delayed the commencement of the crippled for about 10 minutes pursuing the fall.

UTSA caput coach Jeff Traylor said his squad could spot the effect that it had connected the crowd of complete 23,000 group arsenic soon arsenic players arrived connected the section for the game, which his squad won 38-34.

Traylor said he had only been told location had been an “incident” that would hold kickoff.

“You could show the power was conscionable gone,” he said. “It conscionable really puts things successful perspective. It really does.”

Patterson was 1 of 4 subject work members who were scheduled to participate successful the pregame rappelling demonstration.

According to an Air Force website, the work members who were participating successful the rappelling objection were portion of a squad that embeds pinch Army and Marine units and helps to nonstop aerial and artillery strikes from guardant crushed locations.

Part of their training includes learning to quickly driblet by rope, sometimes from helicopters that are 100 feet (about 30 meters) aliases much supra the ground.