A service member assigned to an Air Force special warfare training unit died Saturday after falling during a rappelling demonstration inside the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The demonstration took place before a football game involving the University of Texas at San Antonio and the visiting U.S. Naval Academy.

A spokesperson for Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, confirmed that the airman died from injuries sustained in the fall. The service member was assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2.

The incident occurred before UTSA’s annual Salute to Armed Forces & Veterans game. Four military members were scheduled to rappel from the stadium rafters to the playing field as part of the pregame demonstration.

The Alamodome has 64,000 seats, and catwalks in the stadium rafters are about 160 feet above the playing field, according to the stadium’s technical manual. The airman was descending from that area when the fatal fall occurred.

A reporter with the San Antonio Express-News described the airman as being about halfway through the descent when the service member began sliding in “an uncontrolled manner.” The airman then struck the ground hard.

Football staff and medical personnel immediately rushed to the injured service member. The airman was placed on a stretcher and transported from the field in a cart following the fall.

The San Antonio Fire Department told Task & Purpose that it transported a person with a life threatening injury to a hospital. The Air Force later confirmed that the airman had died from the injuries.

“The incident is under investigation. More information will be released as it becomes available,” the Nellis spokesperson said. No additional information about the circumstances of the fall was included in the announcement.

Before the Air Force publicly announced the service member’s death, a spokesperson for UTSA athletics confirmed the unit involved in the demonstration. The rappel team consisted of members of the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2.

The 6th Combat Training Squadron is based at Nellis Air Force Base. Its mission includes training service members from across the military to serve as terminal air controllers.

Terminal air controllers receive training in ground combat operations along with the technical skills needed to direct strike aircraft over a battlefield. The squadron therefore trains troops for a demanding role that combines combat responsibilities with aircraft coordination.

Detachment 2 conducts selection and initial training for airmen seeking to qualify as Tactical Air Control Party specialists, also known as TACPs. Tactical Air Control Party is a terminal air control position within the Air Force’s special warfare corps.

The detachment is associated with Lackland Air Force Base, approximately 12 miles from the Alamodome. It runs the selection process and initial instruction for airmen pursuing the specialized career field.

The source also identified Detachment 2 as operating from Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis. That field training range is about 20 miles north of San Antonio.

The fatal incident unfolded in front of those gathered for a game honoring members of the armed forces and veterans. The scheduled demonstration involved four military members making the descent from the rafters to the field.

The Air Force has not released further details beyond confirming the death and identifying the service member’s assigned unit. The investigation remains underway, with the Nellis spokesperson saying more information would be provided as it becomes available.