PITTSBURGH – A man who took a fall from the top of a 21-foot wall onto the warning track at PNC Park during a Wednesday night game featuring the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs is now conscious and responsive.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for Kavan Markwood, the 20-year-old who fell from a railing onto the field in the seventh inning of Pittsburgh’s 4-3 victory over the Cubs, with an update on Saturday indicating that Markwood is on the mend.
Jennifer Phillips, responsible for organizing the fundraiser, reported that Markwood has shown remarkable improvement since being hospitalized in critical condition at Allegheny General Hospital’s trauma center on Wednesday.
“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.”
As of early Saturday evening, the GoFundMe had raised more than $27,000.
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.
Brian Warecki, the club’s senior vice president of communications, 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 a hit by Pirates star Andrew 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.
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