The man who fell from the top of a 21-foot-high wall onto the warning track at PNC Park during a game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night is awake and alert.
The organizer of a GoFundMe page for Kavan Markwood, the 20-year-old who slipped off a railing and onto the field during the seventh inning of Pittsburgh’s 4-3 win over the Cubs, shared an update Saturday that Markwood is improving.
According to Jennifer Phillips, who is organizing the fundraiser, Markwood has made significant progress since being admitted to the trauma center at Allegheny General Hospital on Wednesday in critical condition.
“After everything he’s been through since the accident on Wednesday night, this progress feels nothing short of miraculous,” wrote Phillips, who once taught Markwood. “He still has a long road ahead of him, but today brought a moment of hope that we’ve all been holding onto.”
Phillips added that Markwood can speak and encouraged others to support him during his “next phase of recovery.”
Markwood fell onto the warning track in right field just as Pirates star Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double in the seventh inning to put Pittsburgh ahead 4-3. Players began waving frantically for medical personnel.
Markwood was tended to for approximately five minutes by members of both the Pirates and Cubs training staffs as well as PNC personnel, before being removed from the field on a cart.
Pittsburgh owner Bob Nutting said the club was “deeply saddened” and “truly heartbroken” over what he called a “terrible accident.”
“In times like these, we must come together, support one another, and keep him and his loved ones in our prayers,” Nutting said in a statement on Thursday. “We also want to thank and appreciate the efforts of the first responders who rushed to his attention and provided him with compassionate care.”
The railing that runs along the Clemente Wall in right field is three feet (36 inches) in height, which exceeds the building code requirements of 26 inches, according to Pirates vice president of communications Brian Warecki.
McCutchen, a five-time All-Star, said Thursday that the team was “devastated,” adding that they prayed together after the game. Asked to describe his viewpoint of the sequence, McCutchen declined, saying he is trying not to think about it and is more focused on the man’s health.
“We’re just hoping for the best for him,” he said. “I hope he pulls through because he’s the reason why we are here. He’s the reason why we play the game. People that show their support so we can do something we love, partly because of him and because of fans. So, I just pray that he’s all right.”
Pirates manager Derek Shelton and Cubs manager Craig Counsell both alerted the umpire crew of the situation immediately after the play.
“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 said. “I think the umpires saw it because of the way it kicked. It’s extremely unfortunate. That’s an understatement.”
Players from both teams could be seen praying and McCutchen held a cross that hung from his neck while Markwood was taken off the field.
The game was paused for several minutes while Markwood received medical attention but there was no official stoppage in play.
The Pirates have conducted an internal investigation into the incident, which included interviewing fans and analyzing credit card receipts by others in Markwood’s group.
Warecki said the investigation concluded that Markwood did not buy any alcohol but did consume two beers over the course of the game.
Markwood attended the game with three other people, the club said. Credit card receipts indicated that one party in the group legally bought seven alcoholic beverages during the contest.
The team said it received conflicting accounts from fans who sat near Markwood in the section that sits above the Clemente Wall, which is named for Hall of Famer and franchise icon Roberto Clemente.
One fan told the team that Markwood appeared intoxicated. Others said he did not do anything of note until the moment he stood up to celebrate the hit by McCutchen, at which point Markwood leapt out of his seat toward the 36-inch railing in front of him before flipping over the top.
Pittsburgh Public Safety, which includes Pittsburgh Police and EMS, has labeled the incident an accident.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
This article was originally published at www.foxsports.com
