A Temple University student suffered a fatal fall from a light pole during rowdy Eagles victory celebrations in Center City this past weekend. Tyler Sabapathy, an 18-year-old first-year student, was critically injured and later died from his injuries, confirmed by a source to NBC10. The university announced the news yesterday.
On Sunday night, while the Philadelphia Eagles celebrated their NFC championship victory, videos surfaced of Sabapathy climbing a pole at 15th and Market streets before the deadly descent. CBS News Philadelphia reported, "There are no words that can make sense of it, and the entire Temple community mourns his passing." Sabapathy hailed from Toronto, Canada, and had won more than 120 medals in various gymnastics competitions. An accomplished gymnast, he was pursuing a major in exercise and sports science at Temple's College of Public Health.
Temple University offered its condolences and resources to support the grieving community. Their statement acknowledged the loss of an individual who represented both the potential of youth and a commitment to a disciplined craft. "Over the weekend, Tyler sustained critical injuries and ultimately passed away this afternoon," in a statement obtained by Action News. The school has made grief counseling available for those impacted by this event.
The festivities saw incidents including shootings, a stabbing, assaults on officers, and other injuries throughout the night. Philadelphia police, according to Action News, held an internal briefing yesterday to review their response and plan for future events. The city has not confirmed whether pole-greasing, a tactic used in the past to prevent climbing, was applied during Sunday’s events.
