On a Thursday night in 1997, just a few days before Superbowl XXXI, Laura Patterson, a 43 year old circus aerialist from Sarasota, Florida, died from massive cranial trauma while practicing for the upcoming game's halftime show. Patterson, along with her husband and sister, was part of a 16 member troupe scheduled to bungee jump from the top of the Louisiana Superdome during the halftime show's final 30 seconds.
The massive cranial trauma occurred when Patterson collided head-first with the concrete playing field. It is speculated that the jump was compromised because of a broken or improperly operated hoist. The accident happened while the stadium was darkened and loud music was playing, so her death was noticed by only a few of the 700 individuals participating in the rehearsal. Patterson was rushed to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Patterson's unfortunate accident was the first to have happened during a halftime show practice. The climactic bungee jumping portion of Superbowl XXXI's halftime show was removed, and a memorial in Patterson's honor was included in the final product.