A rappelling demonstration at the Alamodome in San Antonio took a tragic turn Saturday as one of the participants - a U.S. Air Force officer - plunged to the field and died. 

Tech. Sgt. Ian Patterson, a Tactical Air Control Party instructor assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, Joint Base San Antonio, died at a local hospital after the incident, CBS reported.

When the airman fell, the band stopped playing and the crowd of 23,000 went silent, witnesses said.

Medical personnel at the stadium treated him before San Antonio firefighters and EMS personnel arrived and transported him to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The incident occurred before the Navy and University of Texas at San Antonio game - that went on as scheduled after brief delay.

"This tragedy is felt deeply across the 57th 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. Our team is now focused on standing beside Ian's family, loved ones, and fellow Airmen as we navigate this profound loss together," Brig. Gen. Scott C. Mills, 57th Wing commander, wrote in a statement.