18-year-old Eagles fan tragically loses his life while celebrating Philly’s playoff win
Eagles' playoff celebration soon became a nightmare when an 18-year-old young fan lost his life after losing his balance off the climbed pole.
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Philadelphia Eagles (Via 6ABC)
Tragedy struck the streets of Philadelphia shortly after the Philadelphia Eagles’ dominating 55-23 victory in the NFC Championship game. Among the many rowdy stories from the night, one celebratory incident soon became a nightmare when an 18-year-old lost his life while rejoicing the Eagles’ Super Bowl qualification.
Tyler Sabapathy, a young Temple University student, was among the throngs of jubilant fans who flooded the city after the Eagles’ commanding victory over the Washington Commanders. In a moment of excitement, Sabapathy climbed a light pole on Market St. and 15th St. to join the festivities, but his celebration quickly took a devastating turn, when he lost his grip and fell.
Witnesses captured the video of the tragic incident, showing the 18-year-old Eagles fan losing his balance and his head hitting on the concrete sidewalk after falling down. He was rushed to Jefferson Hospital for medical attention, but the severity of his brain injury was critical, and he took his final breath on Tuesday.
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.
Temple president John Fry and vice president for student affairs Jodi Bailey said in an official statement
Heartbreaking: An 18-year-old Eagles fan has tragically passed away after falling from a street pole while celebrating their playoff win.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 29, 2025
Prayers for his family 💔🙏 pic.twitter.com/MM84ozCDza
Sabapathy reportedly was taking down the Eagles’ flag from the pole when he lost his balance. This tragic news of Sabapathy’s death has served as a reminder of the risks with such rowdy celebrations.
Eagles NFC Championship celebration overshadowed by violence and arrests
On the night of the Eagles’ NFC Championship victory, Philadelphia police were on high alert, making 31 total arrests during the celebrations. In fact, Mayor Cherelle Parker has warned the residents about climbing on poles and firing guns in the open streets, however, it was immaterial to the fans celebrating earning a spot in Super Bowl LIX.
“You don’t want to be in a celebratory moment, you know, have a tragedy occur. Please don’t climb the poles,” said Parker before the game.
According to ABC 6, at least two people got injured by the fired gunshots into the air at Cottman and Frankford Avenues, and multiple people had climbed poles. As the Eagles prepare for its upcoming Super Bowl matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, authorities are preparing for the challenge of ensuring safety during the celebrations.
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Pratyusha Srivastava
(2162 Articles Published)