20-Year-Old Who Plummeted to Warning Track at Pirates Game Now Awake

PITTSBURGH — A 20-year-old man, Kavan Markwood, is awake and alert following a harrowing fall from a 21-foot-high wall at PNC Park during a baseball game. The incident occurred during the seventh inning of a close match between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs.

Markwood slipped off a railing and landed on the warning track. Since being admitted to the trauma center at Allegheny General Hospital, he has shown significant improvement, according to Jennifer Phillips, who is organizing a GoFundMe campaign for him.

“This progress feels nothing short of miraculous,” Phillips expressed, emphasizing the road to recovery that lies ahead for Markwood. She noted that he is now able to communicate and encouraged the community to continue their support.

As of Saturday evening, the GoFundMe has successfully raised over $27,000 to assist with Markwood’s medical expenses.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have launched an internal investigation into the event. This review includes interviews with spectators and scrutiny of credit card transactions from Markwood’s group. Brian Warecki, the club’s senior vice president of communications, confirmed that while Markwood consumed two beers during the game, he did not purchase any alcohol himself. Receipts indicate that one individual in his group purchased seven alcoholic drinks.

Witness accounts regarding Markwood’s behavior vary. Some fans noted he seemed intoxicated, while others said he was only animated when celebrating a hit from Pirates player Andrew McCutchen, which led to his fall over the railing.

Pittsburgh Public Safety has classified the incident as an accident, seeking to understand the circumstances surrounding the fall.