Temple University Student Dies After Falling During Eagles Celebration

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — An 18-year-old Temple University student died after falling from a light pole during celebrations following the Philadelphia Eagles‘ victory, officials confirmed Tuesday. Tyler Sabapathy, a freshman from Toronto, succumbed to his injuries after the incident near City Hall on Sunday night.

Mayor Cherelle Parker called the incident a “terrible, terrible tragedy” during a press conference Wednesday. She urged fans to avoid climbing poles during future celebrations and extended her condolences to Sabapathy’s family. “I want to continue to reaffirm and echo the same sentiments that I said before that game, asking the public to refrain from climbing poles,” Parker said.

Sabapathy, a member of Temple’s men’s gymnastics team, was studying exercise and sports science in the College of Public Health. The university described him as “an exceptional athlete” and “outstanding person” in a statement. The gymnastics team added that he “represented his family and our university with the utmost class.”

Witnesses reported that Sabapathy climbed to the top of the pole before falling onto the sidewalk and striking his head. He was rushed to a hospital but died on Tuesday. The Philadelphia Police Department has launched an investigation into the incident.

Sabapathy had been active in gymnastics for most of his life, earning more than 120 medals in provincial, regional, and international competitions. His death has left the Temple University community in shock. Students learned of the tragedy through an email sent late Tuesday night. “Just feel so sorry for his parents, his friends, his loved ones. It’s sad,” one student said.

As the city prepares for potential Super Bowl celebrations, officials emphasized that public safety remains their top priority. “[Police] are going to continue doing what they’ve been doing, and that is to make the public’s health and safety of Philadelphia our No. 1 priority,” Parker said. Safety plans for future events will be released at a later time.