A new video of the moment a Pittsburgh Pirates fan fell 21 feet after leaping up with excitement and plunging to the field shows what might have caused the harrowing plunge.
Kavan Markwood, 20, is shown from behind jumping to his feet before his leg clips the railing directly in front of him in new footage of the horrific PNC Park incident taken during April 30’s game against the Chicago Cubs and shared by CBS News.
The heart-stopping video, taken by security cameras inside the stadium during the bottom of the seventh inning, shows a shirtless Markwood, wearing beige shorts, springing to his feet before flipping over the railing as he celebrated an RBI double from the Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen.
The fall is being treated as “accidental in nature” by Pittsburgh Public Safety, which investigated the incident.
Markwood, who broke his neck, back, and collarbone, is a former star football player at South Allegheny High School.
After being admitted to Allegheny General Hospital in a critical condition last Wednesday, Markwood was alert and awake as of Saturday night, after a “miraculous” recovery, according to Jennifer Phillips, who organized a GoFundMe for him.
Markwood was treated by trainers from both the Cubs and the Pirates as EMS and police responded immediately to remove him from the field following the fall from the Clemente Wall over on the right field bleachers onto the warning track.
A second fan also jumped onto the outfield from a lower section to help Markwood.
The game was delayed for about 10 minutes before play resumed.
“We are all deeply saddened and truly heartbroken after the terrible accident that occurred last night,” Pirates Chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement on Thursday.
“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,” Nutting added.
PNC Park was in the news again in the past week after a stadium employee got into a fight with a fan during a game on Sunday.
The employee is seen throwing at least three punches at the fan and whipping them with a belt following an animated argument, video posted on social media of the incident during the game against the San Diego Padres shows.
The employee has since been suspended and an investigation has been launched, the club said in a statement.
“We are aware of the unfortunate incident that occurred following the conclusion of [Sunday’s] game between a PNC Park gameday employee and a guest,” the statement read. “The employee’s behavior was entirely unacceptable, and he was immediately suspended. This incident is currently under further investigation.”
