Pirates fan who fell over 20 feet onto PNC Park field takes giant step in road to recovery

The Pittsburgh Pirates instrumentality who fell much than 20 feet implicit PNC Park’s close tract partition past week took a affirmative measurement connected his roadworthy to recovery. 

Kavan Markwood, a 20-year-old ex-college shot player, took his archetypal steps connected Monday, though helium inactive has a "long mode to go," per The Associated Press. 

Markwood slipped implicit the railing successful the archetypal enactment of the close tract seats and flipped aggregate times successful the aerial earlier landing connected the informing way during the Pirates’ crippled against the Chicago Cubs. 

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Stadium information and Pittsburgh Pirates aesculapian unit cart disconnected a instrumentality who fell from the stands onto the tract to an ambulance arsenic the Pirates batted against the Chicago Cubs during the seventh inning astatine PNC Park. (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)

Jennifer Phillips organized a GoFundMe leafage for Markwood and gave an update connected his recovery, calling the process "slow…but seeing him up and moving was a immense triumph and decidedly lifted everyone’s spirits."

Phillips added that Markwood is "dealing with a breached neck, clavicle, and backmost truthful determination are plentifulness of obstacles ahead."

PIRATES FAN WHO SHOCKINGLY FLIPPED OVER WALL ONTO FIELD IDENTIFIED AS EX-COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYER

"But he’s showing existent strength, and we’re staying hopeful for a creaseless recovery. This volition besides necessitate plentifulness of remainder and pursuing instructions from the large doctors, nurses and unit astatine the hospital."

Markwood was rushed to Allegheny General Hospital’s trauma portion aft the accident, wherever helium was successful captious condition. Players were visibly shaken, arsenic were galore successful the stands, arsenic aesculapian unit from some teams and EMS placed him connected a stretcher and carted him disconnected the field. 

Andrew McCutchen, #22 of the Pittsburgh Pirates, looks connected aft a instrumentality fell from the stands during the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs astatine PNC Park connected April 30, 2025 successful Pittsburgh. (Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

Pittsburgh Public Safety labeled what happened arsenic an accident, arsenic fans astir Markwood said helium had gotten excited astir a Pirates’ rally during the crippled and proceeded to instrumentality his garment disconnected and determination brew connected himself earlier the fall, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Markwood played for 2 Division II shot programs, Walsh University and Wheeling University. He played astatine Wheeling successful 2023, appearing successful 4 games, according to the team’s site. 

 Andrew McCutchen, who deed a treble conscionable earlier Markwood fell, sent a supplication retired connected X. 

A instrumentality is carted disconnected the tract astatine PNC Park aft falling retired of the stands during the seventh inning of a shot crippled betwixt the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs successful Pittsburgh connected Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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"Truly hatred what happened tonight," helium wrote. "Cant assistance but deliberation astir that guy, his household and friends. I commune contiguous for him. Let america deliberation astir his loved ones and hug our families a small tighter tonight. I anticipation helium pulls thru. May God Bless you all. Good night."

Once Markwood was carted disconnected the field, the Pirates and Cubs resumed their game, and Pittsburgh won, 4-3. 

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