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The fan of Pittsburgh Pirates who fell to more than 20 feet on the right field wall of PNC Park last week took a positive step on his way to recovery.
Kavan Markwood, a 20 -year -old former football player, took his first steps on Monday, although he still has a “long way to go”, according to the Associated Press.
Markwood slipped on the balustrade in the first row of the right field seats and turned several times into the air before landing on the warning track during the pirate match against the Chicago Cubs.
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Stadium Security and Pittsburgh Pirates MEDICAL CORRES CORRE of a fan who fell from the stands on the ground towards an ambulance while the hackers beat the Chicago Cubs during the seventh round at the PNC Park. (Charles Leclaire-Imagn Images)
Jennifer Phillips organized a gofundme page for Markwood and gave an update on its recovery, calling the “slow … but seeing it was a great victory and has definitely gathered everyone’s morale”.
Phillips added that Markwood “treats with a broken neck, a collarbone and a back, so there are a lot of obstacles to come”.
Fan Pirates who shocked the wall on the field identified as a former college football player
“But it shows a real force, and we respect a gentle recovery. This will also require a lot of rest and the instructions on the part of the great doctors, nurses and hospital staff.”
Markwood was urgently transported to the trauma unit at the Alegheny General Hospital after the accident, where he was in critical condition. The players were visibly shaken, like many in the stands, because the medical staff of the teams and the EM placed it on a stretcher and chased it from the field.
Andrew McCutchen, n ° 22 Pittsburgh Pirates, looks after a fan fell from the stands during the seventh round against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on April 30, 2025 in Pittsburgh. (Joe Sargent / Getty Images)
Pittsburgh Public Safety labeled what happened as an accident, while Markwood fans said that he had enthusiastic about a pirate rally during the match and had removed his shirt and poured beer before the fall, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Markwood played for two division II football programs, Walsh University and Wheeling University. He played Wheeling in 2023, appearing in four games, according to the team’s website.
Andrew McCutchen, who struck a double just before the fall of Markwood, sent a prayer to X.
A fan is transported from the field to the PNC Park after falling the stands during the seventh round of a baseball match between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cubs of Chicago in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP photo / Gene J. Puskar)
“I really hate what happened tonight,” he wrote. “I can’t help but think of this guy, family and friends. I pray this evening for him. Think about his loved ones and show our families a little tightened this evening. I hope he shoots through. God bless you all. Good night.”
Once Markwood was transported from the field, the pirates and the Cubs resumed their match, and Pittsburgh won, 4-3.
