An Air Force sergeant who fell 150 feet to his death during a college football game had been excited about taking part in the rappelling stunt, his grieving father said.

Tech Sergeant Ian Patterson, 37, was a decorated service member with more than 15 years in the military. He died Saturday after a freak accident during the Navy-University of Texas football game at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Video from the stadium showed Patterson rappelling down from the rafters before he appeared to lose his grip on the rope and plunged to the field below.

Medical personnel treated Patterson on the field for roughly 10 minutes before he was taken away by cart and transported to a hospital, where he later died, according to Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs. The circumstances surrounding the fall remain under investigation.

As his family mourns the loss, Patterson’s father recalled that his son had been eager to take part in the rappelling display after missing the opportunity the previous year.

‘I was very excited. I believe he wanted to do it last year as well,’ John Patterson recounted to WDRB.

‘He didn’t do it last year. So this year, he had the opportunity.’

John Patterson also said his son had always wanted to join the US military. Service, he explained, was a family tradition, and Ian spent much of his childhood moving among military communities.

‘He loved the Air Force. He joined right out of high school, and that’s what he wanted,’ said John, an Army veteran.

‘He knew that the military would give him a solid career and a solid base and give him discipline and integrity.’

Patterson served with the 6th Combat Training Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. The unit provides advanced skills training for special warfare Airmen. He had also been stationed in Korea and Germany.

During his 15-year Air Force career, Patterson received numerous honors, including the Air and Space Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Air and Space Achievement Medal and Army Achievement Medal.

US Air Force Brig. Gen. Scott C. Mills said Patterson’s death had been ‘felt deeply’ throughout the wing.

‘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,’ Mills said.

‘Our team is now focused on standing beside Ian’s family, loved ones, and fellow Airmen as we navigate this profound loss together.’

Away from his military career, Patterson was remembered as a devoted husband to his wife, Nikki, and the father of two boys, aged six and three.

He had also been an avid baseball fan who visited every Major League Baseball stadium in the northeast – and supported the Colorado Rockies after spending six years stationed in the state.

Patterson had also become a ‘bourbon snob’ because of his enthusiasm for collecting the spirit, his father said.

But most of all, John said, he wanted people to remember his son for his kindness, dedication and love for his family.

‘I just want to let people know that he was a wonderful man,’ he said. ‘I love him.’

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Patterson’s friends shared similar sentiments at a memorial for the fallen Air Force sergeant at a local bar where he would regularly play poker with friends.

‘I want him to be remembered most as, for one, a soldier; for two, a great friend, three a family man – family man most of all,’ Tyler Hsu told KSAT.

He noted that he was still expecting his friend to walk through the doors of the bar – and said knowing he will never return was particularly painful.

‘It hurt,’ another friend, Breanna Valdez, told the outlet about how she felt after learning of Patterson’s untimely passing. ‘I didn’t want to believe it at first.

‘My heart broke really bad. It still hurts,’ she continued. ‘I don’t think you’ll ever get over something like that, especially having a good friend like that.’ 

Clips from the horror episode showed Patterson hitting the turf at tremendous speed as thousands of onlookers watched on at the military football game. 

Medics quickly rushed to the fallen Airman’s aid as he lay motionless, his body splayed at the 50-yard line.

‘Everybody was quiet, the band stopped performing. Everybody was dead silent,’ witness Adrian Corey told KSAT.

Adrian’s mother, Siomara, described the unsettling confusion after the accident.

‘There was no updates after that other than asking for prayers, but it did not look good,’ she said. 

Despite the pre-game incident, officials proceeded with kickoff after a 10-minute delay. UTSA went on to beat Navy, 38-34, and afterwards many players took part in a group prayer for the injured Airman.

‘I know we said a prayer postgame, but they’ll continue being our thoughts and prayers, and really thinking about them,’ Roadrunners quarterback Owen McCown told reporters.

The American Conference, which includes both Navy and UTSA, decided to proceed with the game before it was understood that Patterson had died, according to a statement from officials. 

Details of how Patterson fell to his death in front of thousands remain under investigation.

In the meantime, loved ones are raising money for Patterson’s family.

They wrote in an online fundraiser that his sudden death on Saturday was ‘earth-shattering’ to his wife and children.  

Nikki had been dedicated to raising and caring for their family while he was their primary financial provider, and his death means she ‘is now facing the challenge of supporting her children while grieving the loss of her partner,’ the online fundraiser notes.

A separate fundraiser for the family was created by the Tactical Air Control Party (TACP). 

It was designed to help support the sergeant’s two sons as they grow up, Ramiro Villalobos, who leads TACP Foundation, told News 4 San Antonio.  

The organization will now help the boys through major milestones, including turning 16, reaching adulthood and pursuing further education.

At the same time, the organization is coordinating with military officials and family support teams to raise money for the family’s immediate expenses.

‘We’re there because dad can’t be,’ Villalobos said, noting: ‘These two young boys are going to have a bunch of uncles and aunts.’ 

Sen. Eric Schmitt is pointing to the turmoil in France as a warning about what he believes progressive Democrats would bring to the United States, while highlighting Missouri’s manufacturing growth and a federal crackdown on crime as evidence of what Republicans can achieve alongside the Trump administration.

“You see what’s happening in France. That’s exactly what they want here, the DSA Democrats,” the Missouri Republican said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

Schmitt’s comments came after protests over high living costs and pressure on public services escalated into riots, arson and looting across France. Authorities imposed curfews in parts of Paris and other cities as the unrest intensified.

“I think the Democrat Party at this point is sort of post-American and anti-Western civilization,” Schmitt said.

With Republicans facing a competitive fight to retain the House, Schmitt said the party must clearly explain what is at stake while also giving voters tangible reasons to support its candidates.

Discussing the potential impact of a Democratic House on President Trump’s agenda, Schmitt accused Democrats of blocking Republican priorities, including immigration enforcement, permitting changes and regulatory reform.

He also warned that Democrats in control of the House could threaten funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and bring back what he characterized as the politicization of federal agencies under former President Joe Biden.

At the same time, Schmitt said Republicans cannot rely solely on criticism of Democrats. He argued that the party must demonstrate how its policies are creating jobs and improving public safety, pointing to Missouri as an example of cooperation with the Trump administration.

In Missouri, Schmitt cited Boeing’s selection to develop the Air Force’s F-47 and the Navy’s next-generation F/A-XX fighter aircraft as a major boost for the state’s manufacturing and defense industries.

Boeing won the Air Force contract last year and secured the Navy deal in September.

Schmitt, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the projects are expected to create 7,000 direct jobs while generating further demand for suppliers, contractors and local businesses.

“It means that the goal we’ve been fighting for, which is that St. Louis is the defense tech capital of the United States of America, is coming true,” he said.

The senator said he worked with Trump and administration officials to help bring the fighter programs to Missouri, calling them “generational opportunities” for workers across the state.

“You think of the good-paying jobs that’s going to mean for generations to come, it’s just a game changer,” Schmitt said.

He added that the aircraft programs are part of a broader effort to counter China, arguing that the next generation of American fighters will be critical to meeting military demands in the Indo-Pacific.

Schmitt also pointed to Operation Show Me Justice, an ATF-led public safety initiative in St. Louis. According to the Justice Department, the operation produced 435 arrests and led to the seizure of 166 firearms.

Officials said the operation, which concluded Oct. 15, also resulted in the seizure of 81 kilograms of drugs and more than $1.25 million believed to be connected to suspected illegal gun and drug transactions.

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Schmitt said his discussions with administration officials have centered on a direct appeal for assistance in his hometown.

“St. Louis, we need your help,” he said.

The former Missouri attorney general described the human cost of violent crime, saying families have been forced to cope with shattered windows, while parents have endured the devastating loss of their children.

“We don’t need to accept this,” he said. “We just don’t need to accept the idea that violent crime needs to be in the headlines every single day.”

He pledged the effort would continue beyond the surge.

“This isn’t a one-and-done deal. There are more resources coming,” Schmitt said.

For families wanting to send children safely to school, visit a park or attend a Cardinals game downtown, he said the goal is a better quality of life.

“I think the message is help is on the way, and there are real tangible results now, not just rhetoric, not just empty promises,” Schmitt said.

“We’re not letting up.”

Schmitt’s third major priority is modernizing St. Louis Lambert International Airport, an effort he linked to the region’s aerospace growth and aviation history.

His Modern Skies Act would fund improvements to air traffic control technology, towers and airport terminals. He said midsize airports need help securing investments that larger hubs can more readily finance.

“St. Louis is the gateway to the West,” he said. “It deserves a world-class airport.”

The proposal remains a legislative push rather than a guaranteed funding award for Lambert. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said during an October visit that airport funding would be competitive.

For Schmitt, those priorities form part of the argument Republicans need to make as voters weigh control of Congress.

He cast the election as “common sense versus crazy,” but cautioned that Republicans cannot assume their supporters will show up.

“I just don’t think you can take anything for granted,” Schmitt said. “I think we have to fight for every vote and tell an important story.”

“I think if we do that, we’re gonna hold on to the Senate, and the House is up for grabs.”