Former college football player, Kavan Markwood, has been identified as the man in critical condition after falling 21 feet over the Clemente Wall at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
South Allegheny High School 2022 graduate, Markwood, 20, fell onto the field during the Pittsburgh Pirates-Chicago Cubs MLB game on Wednesday, April 30 and was hospitalized. His identity was confirmed to TribLive by a South Allegheny School District official on Thursday, May 1.
“Everyone at South Allegheny would say he is a hardworking, highly resilient young man. He’s a fighter. He’s going to need that resiliency now. But he has it,” district spokeswoman Laura Thomson told the outlet. “He’s touched a lot of lives at South Allegheny. We’re a small community. He’s a household name here. Everyone knows him.
The spokesperson continued: “He has the prayers and the support of the South Allegheny community.”
MLB Fan in Critical Condition After 21-Foot Fall at Pittsburgh Pirates Game
According to TMZ, Markwood played college football at Division II Wheeling University in West Virginia as a linebacker in 2023. He left the team in 2024 for work reasons.
MLB players flagged down medical professionals after Markwood fell onto the right field warning track as the Pittsburgh Pirates took on the Chicago Cubs. The incident occurred during the game’s seventh inning, just after Pirates player Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double.
“Truly hate what happened tonight. Can’t help but think about that guy, his family and friends,” McCutchen, 38, shared via X on Wednesday. “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.”
The game’s live broadcast showed Pirates players in the dugout pointing to the outfield following the man’s fall. Both the Pirates manager, Derek Shelton, and Cubs manager, Craig Counsell, were quick to alert the on-field umpires.
“Even though it’s 350 feet away or whatever it is, I mean the fact of how it went down and then laying motionless while the play is going on, I mean Craig saw it, I saw it. We both got out there,” Shelton, 54, said following Wednesday’s game. “I think the umpires saw it because of the way it kicked. It’s extremely unfortunate. That’s an understatement.”
Medical professionals treated the fan for several minutes on the field before removing him on a golf cart. Players on the field took a knee while the EMTs were tending to Markwood. The game continued after the incident with the Pirates beating the Cubs 4-3.
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“Tonight, during the seventh inning of the game at PNC Park, an adult male fell from the right field bleachers onto the field of play,” the Pirates’ official statement read after Wednesday’s game. “Pittsburgh EMS, as well as the Pirates and Cubs athletic training teams and other PNC Park personnel reacted and responded immediately and administered care. He was transported to Allegheny General Hospital. No further information is available at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.”
The Pittsburgh Office of Public Safety offered an update on the incident in a social media post shared on Thursday, May 1.
“This incident is being treated as accidental in nature. The patient remains in critical condition at the hospital,” they shared via X. “Pittsburgh Police do not anticipate providing any additional updates to the public.
