An Air Force commando remains in critical condition after plunging from a fast-rope demonstration at a UTSA football game in San Antonio.
The unnamed airman, part of a four-person military stunt team, lost control and plummeted dozens of feet onto the Alamodome turf during the pregame “Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans” ceremony against Navy last Saturday. Medical personnel treated him for roughly 10 minutes before he was stretchered off and transported to a local hospital.
Adrian Corey, who watched the demonstration unravel, described the stadium’s stunned reaction to KSAT.
“Everybody was quiet, the band stopped performing. Everybody was dead silent,” he said.
The four servicemembers belonged to Detachment 2 of the Air Force’s 6th Combat Training Squadron, based at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. The unit specializes in training air combat controllers, including rappelling techniques from heights exceeding 100 feet. The Alamodome’s ceiling reaches approximately 170 feet.
The demonstration had been scheduled as part of the pregame coin toss. The accident delayed kickoff by about 10 minutes while staff formed a semicircle around the injured airman and medical teams worked.
A crowd of 23,297 had filled the stadium for the American Conference matchup.
UTSA officials moved quickly to address the trauma witnessed by attendees.
“We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the start of tonight’s football game. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the soldier who was affected, his family and his military colleagues,” a university spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the school was “activating wellbeing services to support our faculty, staff and students” who may have been emotionally affected.
The American Conference, which organizes the game, posted a statement on X acknowledging the broader impact on those present.
“The American Conference is deeply saddened by tonight’s pregame incident in at the Alamodome. Our thoughts are with the individual involved, their family and colleagues, and everyone who witnessed or was affected by it,” a spokesperson wrote.
The conference continued: “We consulted with representatives of both participating member institutions, Alamodome management, local authorities and a working group to review the information available.”
The statement also noted that officials “respect the family’s privacy and will coordinate any further updates with the appropriate authorities,” while working to connect affected individuals with support resources.
The outlet reached out to the Air Force and the San Antonio Police Department for additional information.
The UTSA Roadrunners have called the city-owned Alamodome home since their inaugural football season in 2011. The airman’s condition was not immediately clear as of Sunday.
