Fan who fell over wall onto field at Pirates game ‘awake and alert,’ GoFundMe says

Fan who fell over wall onto field at Pirates game ‘awake and alert,’ GoFundMe says

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The 20-year-old man who fell over a wall and crashed onto the field at PNC Park in Pittsburgh is “awake and alert,” according to a GoFundMe page raising money for his medical bills.

Kavan Markwood, a former college football player, was identified as the man who fell more than 20 feet onto the right-field warning track.

Markwood flipped over the wall’s railing and fell onto the field in a game between the Pirates and Chicago Cubs. 

The GoFundMe was created earlier this week, and its organizer provided the positive update on Markwood.

“We are so relieved and grateful to share some encouraging news about Kavan. As of this morning, Kavan is awake, alert, and able to speak,” Jennifer Phillips wrote. “After everything he’s been through since the accident on Wednesday night, this progress feels nothing short of miraculous. 

“He still has a long road ahead of him, but today brought a moment of hope that we’ve all been holding onto. Thank you all so much for your prayers, support, and generosity. Please continue to keep him in your thoughts as he begins the next phase of recovery.”

Play stopped immediately as medical staff sprinted to the outfield to find a shirtless Markwood motionless on the warning track’s dirt with blood visible on his face. Both teams’ trainers joined EMS to get him onto a cart and off the field. 

Fan on the warning track

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Pirates star Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double to put the team up 4-3 in the bottom of the inning, when players from his team frantically tried to alert umpires and security that the fan was on the warning track. 

The game was paused for about 10 minutes as medical personnel arrived. The fan was placed onto a backboard, loaded onto a medical cart and transported out the stadium to a hospital.

A graphic video posted to social media showed the fan tumbling over the railing and dropping about 20 feet to the ground. The TV broadcast showed McCutchen standing on second base with his hand over his head in apparent shock. Cubs players took a knee while the fan was being examined

Markwood played for two Division II football programs, Walsh University and Wheeling University. He played at Wheeling in 2023, appearing in four games, according to the team’s site.

Andrew McCutchen on one knee

“Truly hate what happened tonight,” McCutchen wrote on social media. “Cant help but think about that guy, his family and friends. I pray tonight for him. Let us think about his loved ones and hug our families a little tighter tonight. I hope he pulls thru. May God Bless you all. Good night.”

Fox News’ Scott Thompson and Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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