An Air Force service member dies after falling during a pregame rappel at the Alamodome before UTSA hosted Navy

A pregame salute to the military in San Antonio ended in tragedy Saturday night.

An Air Force service member died after he fell while trying to rappel from the rafters of the Alamodome before UTSA's football game against Navy, the Air Force said.

What happened

Four officers were set to rappel down to the field about 15 minutes before kickoff as part of UTSA's annual Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans game. One of them appeared to lose control on the way down. He slid down the line and hit the turf just before 7 p.m.

Witnesses said the band stopped playing and the stadium went silent as medical staff rushed to him. He was taken from the Alamodome and brought to a local hospital, where he died.

What the Air Force said

Public affairs officials at Nellis Air Force Base said the service member was assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2. The Air Force did not release his name and said the incident is under investigation.

"We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the start of tonight's game," UTSA said in a statement. "Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the soldier who was affected, his family and his military colleagues."

The university said it is offering well-being services to students, faculty and staff who may be affected.

The game went on

Kickoff was pushed back 10 minutes. UTSA beat Navy 38-34 after Owen McCown threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to A'Marion Peterson with 2:24 left.