Air Force identifies Tech. Sgt. Ian Patterson in Alamodome rappel death

Tech. Sgt. Ian Patterson, a Tactical Air Control Party instructor with 15 years in the Air Force, died Saturday night after falling while rappelling from the ceiling of the Alamodome in San Antonio before a college football game.

Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs identified Patterson in a statement Sunday night and said he was injured at the stadium and died at a local hospital, CBS News reported. He was assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, at Joint Base San Antonio.

Patterson was one of four service members scheduled to rappel to the field about 15 minutes before kickoff of UTSA's annual Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans game against Navy. He appeared to lose control during a descent witnesses put at about 170 feet, slid down the line and struck the turf near the middle of the field.

What happened on the field

The fall happened just before 7 p.m., the San Antonio Fire Department told KSAT. Medical personnel worked on Patterson on the turf for about 10 minutes while UTSA staff surrounded him.

The fire department said he was taken to a San Antonio-area hospital as a Priority 1 patient, a designation indicating a life-threatening emergency.

The band stopped playing and the stadium went quiet, witnesses told KSAT. Adrian Corey, who was in the stands, described the moment to the station: "Once the band started playing, there was a guy that fell down, and started coming down fast." Another witness, Siomara Corey, said there were no updates afterward beyond requests for prayers, and that it did not look good.

Video posted on social media showed Patterson, in combat fatigues, descending quickly and feet first to the ground, CBS News reported. The fall happened with fans in the stands and the band assembled nearby on the field.

The unit and its training

The 6th Combat Training Squadron is headquartered at Nellis Air Force Base, outside Las Vegas, and trains service members from across the military, according to KSAT. Detachment 2, the unit Patterson belonged to, operates out of Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis, Texas Public Radio reported.

An Air Force website describes tactical air control party specialists as members of a team that embeds with Army and Marine units and helps direct air and artillery strikes from forward ground positions, CBS News reported.

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

The Air Force has not said what caused the fall. Patterson was an instructor in the detachment that was demonstrating the technique. A Nellis Air Force Base spokesperson told KSAT that the incident is under investigation and that more information would be released as it becomes available.

Why the game continued

The American Conference said the decision to play was made before Patterson's death had been confirmed. In a statement Sunday night, the conference said it continued the game in accordance with its bylaws and with the support of both participating member institutions, CBS News reported.

Respect for the family's privacy and adherence to the military's notification process guided the decision, the statement said, in order "to mitigate speculation about the service member's medical status and avoid additional distress for his family." The conference said it was heartbroken about the death and extended condolences to members of the 57th Wing.

Kickoff was delayed about 10 minutes, and UTSA beat Navy 38-34 in front of 23,297 fans, moving to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play while Navy fell to 2-4 and 1-3.

UTSA coach Jeff Traylor called the accident heartbreaking and tragic when he spoke to reporters after the game. He said he had been told only that there had been an incident delaying the start, and that the players could see what it had done to the crowd as soon as they reached the field. "You could tell the energy was just gone," Traylor said.

The review now underway

The conference said it is working with its member institutions, the Alamodome and local authorities to review what happened, and with those schools to provide support to people affected, according to KSAT. Nothing has been released about the equipment used in the demonstration or the safety procedures in place for it.

A 15-year Air Force career

Patterson was originally from Fort Stewart, Georgia, and had served in the Air Force for 15 years, Nellis Air Force Base said Sunday night. He was a technical sergeant and an instructor with Detachment 2 at Joint Base San Antonio.

"This tragedy is felt deeply across the 57th Wing," Brig. Gen. Scott C. Mills, the wing's commander, said in a statement Sunday night. Mills said Patterson and his service mattered immensely to the wing and to the people who served alongside him, and that the wing's team was focused on standing beside his family and fellow airmen.

Reaction in San Antonio

San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said in a statement on social media that she was "deeply saddened" to hear of the death. "We will keep his family in our prayers," Jones said. "May perpetual light shine upon him."

Bexar County commissioner Grant Moody said he was moved to see students and staff step up to provide privacy and dignity as medical personnel worked to save Patterson's life, and that they showed compassion and respect in an incredibly difficult moment.

UT San Antonio said after the game that it was deeply saddened by the incident and that its thoughts and prayers were with the service member, his family and his military colleagues. Lisa Campos, the university's vice president for intercollegiate athletics, said in a separate statement: "Moments like these remind us that we are all part of something much greater than a game."

Taylor Eighmy, the university's president, said in a statement Sunday that what was intended to be a day of camaraderie, tradition and celebration had been marked by profound sadness.

The impact of this tragedy extends far beyond those who were present at the Alamodome. It touches families, friends, fellow service members and so many throughout our community.

The university said it was activating wellbeing services for faculty, staff and students. Students needing assistance were told to contact the university crisis hotline at 210-458-4140, which operates 24/7, or to use the TimelyCare app. Academic campus employees were directed to an Employee Assistance Program at 800-451-1834, and UT Health employees to a separate program at 800-356-3549.

Nellis Air Force Base has not said when its investigation will be finished or who is conducting it. The Air Force confirmed Patterson's death on Sunday, a day after the game.