A man was in critical condition after he plunged around 20 feet from the stands to the ground at a Pittsburgh Pirates home game at PNC Park on Wednesday, officials said.
The man was seen tumbling in the air before he landed on the warning track area of right field during the seventh inning, stopping the game as players looked shocked.
He was taken to Allegheny General Hospital, where he was in critical condition, a spokesperson for Pittsburgh Public Safety said.
The Pirates said in a statement, “Pittsburgh EMS, as well as the Pirates and Cubs athletic training teams and other PNC Park personnel reacted and responded immediately and administered care.”
A person who witnessed the incident said that it happened fast and that the man fell from the 21-foot wall.
“It was quick. I couldn’t tell if he jumped or fell,” Sam Miller said. EMS staff members strapped the man to a stretcher to immobilize him, Miller said.
The Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen was among the players who reacted on the field as emergency medical responders tended to the man. Fans reported on social media that the stadium was silent.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family,” the Pirates said.
Detectives from the Pittsburgh Police Violent Crime Unit are investigating, Pittsburgh Public Safety said.
