An Air Force sergeant who tragically fell 170 feet to his death during a college football game had been eager to perform the stunt, his heartbroken father revealed.
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father → fall → stunt
Tech Sergeant Ian Patterson, 37, a decorated service member who had been in the military over 15 years, died on Saturday in a freak accident during a stunt at the Navy-University of Texas football game at San Antonio's Alamodome stadium.
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who → decorate → stadium
Footage of Patterson's death showed the airman losing his grip on a rope as he rappelled from the rafters of the football game, and he fell violently to the ground.
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he → show → ground
He was treated on the field for around 10 minutes before being carted off and rushed to the hospital, where he later died, according to a statement from Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs.
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he → treat → Affairs
As his family now struggles to come to grips with the tragedy, Patterson's father shared how he had been looking forward to performing the rappelling stunt after missing out on it last year.
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he → struggle → it
I believe he wanted to do it last year as well,' John Patterson recounted to WDRB.
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Patterson → believe → WDRB
'He didn't do it last year.
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He → do → it
So this year, he had the opportunity.'
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he → have → opportunity
The grieving father went on to tell how his son had always wanted to serve in the United States military, explaining that it was a tradition in their family and that Ian had grown up moving between military communities.
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Ian → grieve → communities
John Patterson, the father of late Tech Sergeant Ian Patterson, shared how his son was excited to perform a dangerous rappelling stunt at Saturday's Navy-University of Texas football game.
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son → share → game
The 37-year-old died after falling 170 feet while performing the stunt
John described his son as a 'bourbon snob' because of his enthusiasm for collecting the spirit and said he wanted people to remember the 37-year-old for his kindness, dedication and love for his family
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people → die → family
He loved the Air Force.
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He → love → Force
He joined right out of high school, and that's what he wanted,' said John, an Army veteran.
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John → join → what
'He knew that the military would give him a solid career and a solid base and give him discipline and integrity.
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military → know → discipline
Patterson was with the 6th Combat Training Squadron, a unit that conducts advanced skills training for special warfare Airmen, at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, and he had previously been stationed in Korea and Germany.
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he → conduct → Korea
He was a highly decorated airman over his 15 years in the Air Force, including being awarded the Air and Space Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, Air and Space Achievement Medal and Army Achievement Medal.
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He → decorate → Medal
US Air Force Brig. Gen Scott C Mills said in a statement following the tragedy that Patterson's death was 'felt deeply' by his fellow officers.
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death → say → officers
'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.
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Mills → matter → him
'Our team is now focused on standing beside Ian’s family, loved ones, and fellow Airmen as we navigate this profound loss together.'
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we → focus → loss
But those who knew Patterson remembered him as a devoted husband to his wife, Nikki, and a father to two young boys, ages six and three.
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who → know → boys
Patterson was 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 Source: Facebook
Patterson was with the 6th Combat Training Squadron, a unit that conducts advanced skills training for special warfare Airmen, at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, and he had previously been stationed in Korea and Germany.
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he → visit → Korea
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.
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who → visit → state
Patterson had also become a 'bourbon snob' because of his enthusiasm for collecting the spirit, his father said.
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father → become → spirit
But most of all, John said, he wanted people to remember his son for his kindness, dedication and love for his family.
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people → say → family
'I just want to let people know that he was a wonderful man,' he said.
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he → want → ?
'I love him.'
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I → love → him
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.
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he → share → 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.
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Hsu → want → 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.
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he → note → bar
'It hurt,' another friend, Breanna Valdez, told the outlet about how she felt after learning of Patterson's untimely passing.
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she → hurt → passing
'I didn't want to believe it at first.
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I → want → it
'My heart broke really bad.
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heart → break → ?
It still hurts,' she continued.
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she → hurt → ?
'I don't think you'll ever get over something like that, especially having a good friend like that.'
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you → think → that
Those who knew Patterson remembered him as a devoted husband to his wife, Nikki, and a father to two young boys, ages six and three Source: GoFundMe
In a GoFundMe set up for Patterson's grieving family, he was described as a 'beloved husband and father whose life was taken far too soon'
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life → know → husband
Clips from the horror episode showed Patterson hitting the turf at tremendous speed as thousands of onlookers watched on at the military football game.
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thousands → show → game
Medics quickly rushed to the fallen Airman's aid as he lay motionless, his body splayed at the 50-yard line.
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body → rush → line
'Everybody was quiet, the band stopped performing.
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band → stop → ?
Everybody was dead silent,' witness Adrian Corey told KSAT.
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Corey → tell → KSAT
Adrian's mother, Siomara, described the unsettling confusion after the accident.
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mother → describe → accident
…and 14 more, not listed.
The Aporia
