A lifelong Philadelphia Eagles fan’s moment of elation turned to tragedy after he died from horrific injuries during the team’s NFC Championship celebration over the Washington Commanders this weekend.
18-year-old Tyler Sabapathy, a student at Temple University, fell from a light pole in Philadelphia after the team’s NFC Championship game win died on Tuesday from brain trauma.
Sabapathy was placed on life support before dying at Jefferson Hospital, local Philadelphia affiliate ABC 6 reported.
In a statement from Temple President John Fry and Vice President for Student Affairs Jodi Bailey, the school mourned his loss.
“It is with deep sadness that we write to share news of the death of first-year student Tyler Sabapathy,” the statement read.
“Over the weekend, Tyler sustained critical injuries and ultimately passed away this afternoon.”
“The loss of a promising 18-year-old man like Tyler is both tragic and traumatic. There are no words that can make sense of it, and the entire Temple community mourns his passing. Our hearts go out to Tyler’s family, friends, classmates and all who knew and loved him.”
Sabapathy, a native of Toronto, Canada, was a member of the school’s gymnastics team and was majoring in exercise and sport science, according to the ABC 6 report.
During the city-wide celebration, multiple people, including Sabapathy, climbed poles in the city. ABC 6 also reported at least two people were shot during the celebrations in the streets.
Nick Alessandro of Blackwood, N.J., told CBS News this week he saw the fall that led to the Temple undergraduate’s death.
“He was trying to take down the Eagles flag from the pole, and I guess he lost his balance and then fell,” Alessandro said. “And then everyone swarmed toward him, but other people went away. It was a mess.”
“He no doubt had a bright future ahead of him, and it is so tragic that we will not be able to see how he would have made his mark on the world,” Temple added in the statement about Sabapathy’s death.