John Patterson says his son had been eager for a chance that finally came too late.
The father of TSgt Ian “Patty” Patterson, 33, told WDRB+WAVE that the Air Force sergeant had wanted to perform the Alamodome rappelling stunt last year but was not selected, making Saturday’s fatal descent his first opportunity to participate in the annual exhibition. “I was very excited. I believe he wanted to do it last year as well,” John Patterson said. “He didn’t do it last year. So this year he had the opportunity.”
Patterson, a tech sergeant with the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, at Joint Base San Antonio, was one of four military experts scheduled to drop from the stadium rafters on ropes before the University of Texas at San Antonio vs. Navy game. He lost control of his descent during the rappel and fell approximately 170 feet from the ceiling of the indoor stadium to the field below.
Medical personnel treated Patterson on the field for roughly 10 minutes before transporting him by golf cart out of the Alamodome to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
The 15-year veteran grew up in a military household, with his father having served in the Army. He enlisted in the Air Force directly after high school. “He loved the Air Force. He joined right out of high school, and that’s what he wanted,” John Patterson told WDRB+WAVE.
“He knew that the military would give him a solid career and a solid base, and give him discipline and integrity and everything that wraps up a good military individual,” the elder Patterson continued.
Patterson’s service took him across the globe, with postings in South Korea, Germany and Colorado before his most recent assignment in San Antonio. Nellis Air Force Base noted that he received multiple medals and was named the 2022 Air Force Special Warfare Enlisted Instructor of the Year at the Headquarters Air Force level.
As a Tactical Air Control Party instructor, Patterson trained others in the specialized combat support role. The TACP Foundation established a fundraiser for his family following his death.
“TSgt Ian ‘Patty’ Patterson was a loving father, a leader, and a brother in arms. Those who knew and served alongside him remember a caring father, a trusted teammate, and a tested operator. His loss is deeply felt across the TACP community,” the foundation wrote online.
“Ian, we honor you as a loving father, a leader, and a brother in arms. We will carry your memory forward by standing shoulder to shoulder with your family and your teammates through the days ahead,” the organization added. “Rest in peace, brother. Our mission continues. Your family will not walk this road alone.”
John Patterson described his emotional state in blunt terms. “It just takes a split second and I got the waterfalls going,” he revealed.
“I just want to let people know that he was a wonderful man,” the grieving father added. “I love him.”
Patterson was remembered as a “wonderful husband and dad” throughout his decade and a half of military service.
The annual rappelling demonstration at the Alamodome has been a featured military exhibition before the UTSA-Navy football game, with service members descending from the stadium’s upper reaches to the field below.