Gymnast dies in fall from pole celebrating Eagles’ NFC championship, university says

An 18-year-old gymnast died two days after he fell from a light pole while celebrating the Philadelphia Eagles’ NFC championship, according to his university and news reports.

Temple University announced the death Jan. 28 of Tyler Sabapathy, a first-year student who the Philadelphia college said was majoring in exercise and sport science.

“The loss of a promising 18-year-old man like Tyler is both tragic and traumatic,” Temple University President John Fry said in a statement. “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.”

The university did not mention the accident, but multiple reports identified Sabapathy as the victim of the Sunday, Jan. 26, incident in Philadelphia.

He was celebrating the Eagles’ Super Bowl berth when he fell from a pole at 15th and Market streets, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Video obtained by WPVI shows Sabapathy hit his head on a concrete sidewalk. He was hospitalized and died Jan. 28.

A Toronto native, Sabapathy was a member of Temple’s club gymnastics team, according to the university. He had been awarded more than 120 medals as a gymnast.

“Tyler displayed exceptional self-discipline and work ethic, spending countless hours a week training and honing his craft,” the university president said. “He was loved by his teammates, friends and coaches here in Philadelphia.”

Sabapathy’s fall was part of a tumultuous night in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Police Department reported “several significant incidents” during the NFC championship celebrations, leading to 31 citations issued.