Temple University has released a statement following the death of 18-year-old student Tyler Sabapathy, who fell from a light pole while celebrating the Philadelphia Eagles' NFC Championship win on Sunday night.
Sabapathy hit his head on the sidewalk after slipping and falling off the light pole, per video of the incident. He was later hospitalized in critical condition and died Tuesday afternoon.
"The loss of a promising 18-year-old man like Tyler is both tragic and traumatic," Temple President John Fry and Vice President for Student Affairs Jodi Bailey wrote in a statement released Tuesday. "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, an exercise and sports science major, was a native of Toronto, Canada, and a member of the university's club gymnastics team.
"As an accomplished gymnast with more than 120 medals in provincial, regional, and international competitions, Tyler was fascinated with injury prevention, and this ultimately led him to pursue the major that he did," the statement continues. "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."
"Once again, we extend our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies to those closest to Tyler, especially his parents and siblings. He will be deeply missed."
Light pole climbing is a common but dangerous celebration for Philly sports fans. In 2023, city police greased the fixtures ahead of the NFC title game, but did not say if they did so ahead of Sunday's win, per ABC6.
Authorities have said they are reviewing their response to the celebration and will strategize for similar issues come Super Bowl Sunday.
"In the past, we were concerned about damage to the poles, tearing down the poles," said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, per ABC6. "In this case, unfortunately, a young man fell from the poles."
The police department has its hands full with a number of other incidents that followed the Birds' win on Sunday, including a stabbing and a vehicle crash involving pedestrians.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Temple University Issues Statement After Student Dies From Fall Post-Eagles' Win.
