Pittsburgh Pirates players are still reeling after a fan took a devastating fall from the right field wall at PNC Park which left him in critical condition.
The incident occurred after Pirates star Andrew McCutchen hit what became a game-winning two-run double against the Chicago Cubs.
A fan atop the ‘Clemente Well’ fell all 21 feet – flipping over in mid-air – before smacking the ground head-first.
Medical personnel treated the fan and then rushed him to a nearby hospital. On Thursday, Pittsburgh police revealed the fan was in critical condition and no further updates have been given since.
McCutchen, who has been with the Pirates in various stints over the years, opened up about the incident.
‘We’re devastated of the situation that took place yesterday,’ McCutchen said Thursday (via NBC News).
Pirates star Andrew McCutchen offered prayers to the fan who fell from a wall on Wednesday
The fan fell 21-feet from the Clemente Wall in right field before crashing to the ground
‘So we all came in here together as a team after the game and said a prayer for him. We hope the best for him and his family. ‘
‘We’re all thinking about him and just praying for the best for him,’ McCutchen added. ‘I hope he pulls through. And yes, it was a tough situation. So yeah, we’re definitely thinking about him.’
On Thursday, the fan was identified as Kavan Markwood – a 20-year-old Pittsburgh area native who was a high school football star.
He went on to play football at Division II Wheeling University in West Virginia.
A spokesperson for the South Allegheny School District said in a statement, ‘Kavan is best known for his resilience, strength, and kindness,’ the spokesperson said. ‘He is a friend to all — someone who lifts others up and faces challenges with courage and grace.’
Pirates owner Bob Nutting released a heartfelt statement of his own on Thursday as Markwood continues to recover in hospital, despite not providing an update on the latter’s condition.
Nutting’s statement read with an incredibly somber tone, despite there being no recent updates on the fan’s current state or condition.
‘We are all deeply saddened and truly heartbroken after the terrible accident that occurred last night,’ it began.
The baseball fan who fell over a 21-foot wall has been identified as Kavan Markwood (pictured)
Markwood, 20, went tumbling over the wall and crashing onto the field in a horrifying moment
‘It was one of the most difficult moments many of us have ever experienced. We are devastated.
‘Pirates baseball is a community, and our fans are like family. In times like these, we must come together, support one another, and keep him and his loved ones in our prayers.
‘We also want to thank and appreciate the efforts of the first responders who rushed to his attention and provided him with compassionate care.’
Video posted to social media shows him falling over the Clemente Wall before plummeting onto the warning track.
Markwood flipped while in the air before appearing to land on his head.
Following the scary fall, medics rushed over with a stretcher as he laid on the ground. He then received medical attention for about five minutes.
Photos showed that another fan appeared to follow him onto the field afterward, deliberately hopping over the wall from the first row.
