The U.S. Air Force has identified the service member who died after falling while rappelling from the Alamodome ceiling during a pregame ceremony before Saturday night’s UTSA football game against the Navy.
Tech. Sgt. Ian Patterson, a Tactical Air Control Party instructor assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, at Joint Base San Antonio, died following the incident, the Nellis Air Force Base said in a news release on Sunday.
Patterson was from Fort Stewart, Georgia, and served in the Air Force for 15 years. He was recognized in 2022 as the Air Force Special Warfare Enlisted Instructor of the Year at the Headquarters Air Force level.
His decorations included the Air and Space Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, as well as the Army Commendation Medal, Air and Space Achievement Medal and Army Achievement Medal, each with one oak leaf cluster.
“This tragedy is felt deeply across the 57th Wing,” said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Scott C. Mills, 57th Wing commander, in the release. “Tech. Sgt. Patterson and his service mattered immensely to our wing, and to the family, friends, and teammates who had the privilege of knowing and serving alongside him. Our team is now focused on standing beside Ian’s family, loved ones, and fellow Airmen as we navigate this profound loss together.”
The 6th Combat Training Squadron trains service members from across the military. While it is located at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, Detachment 2 is based out of Joint Base San Antonio.
Nellis Air Force Base said the fall is under investigation.
Witnesses told KSAT he was part of a pregame ceremony with three other members of the military for UTSA’s Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans night.
“Once the band started playing, there was a guy that fell down,” witness Adrian Corey told KSAT, “and started coming down fast.”
The fall happened just before 7 p.m. at the Alamodome, SAFD said, where the Roadrunners played Navy. UTSA staff surrounded the service member, witnesses told KSAT, as he received medical attention.
“I was moved to see students and staff step up to provide privacy and dignity as medical personnel worked to save his life,” Bexar County commissioner Grant Moody said. “In an incredibly difficult moment, they showed compassion and respect.”
In a statement on social media, San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said she was “deeply saddened” to hear about the soldier’s death.
“We will keep his family in our prayers,” Jones said. “May perpetual light shine upon him.”
Following the game, the American Conference (of which UTSA and Navy are members) and UT San Antonio also extended thoughts to the airman, their family and colleagues, as well as all those who witnessed it.
“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,” UT San Antonio President Taylor Eighmy said. “My hope is that all those affected feel the strength of a community that stands beside them, shares in their sorrow and surrounds them with genuine care.”
The conference said it is working with member institutions, the Alamodome and local authorities to review what happened.
The conference said it is also working with its member institutions to provide support resources to those impacted. UT San Antonio said it is offering those services to students and employees impacted emotionally by the fall:
- Students who are in need of assistance can contact the university crisis hotline 24/7at 210-458-4140 and can also access resources through the TimelyCare App
- Academic campus employees can get support through the Employee Assistance Program at 800-451-1834
- UT Health employees can receive assistance through the Employee Assistance Program at 800-356-3549
Read also:
