Wednesday night’s game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs was halted as medical personnel rushed to help a man who fell onto the field from the stands.
Following a play in the seventh inning, a man in the right-field stands fell over a railing above PNC Park‘s Clemente Wall, plummeting 21 feet to the warning track. The man, who was seated in the first row, flipped over the guard rail and landed with his head and shoulders hitting the ground first.
Players on the field noticed the fall and called attention to the fan. Pittsburgh EMS as well as training staffs from both teams rushed over to attend to the fan.
According to a statement from the Pirates, the man was then transported to nearby Allegheny General Hospital. As of Wednesday night, he was in critical condition. Pittsburgh Police are investigating the incident.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family,” the Pirates said in the statement.
The fall occurred after an RBI double from Pirates star Andrew McCutchen. After the game, McCutchen took to social media to send thoughts and prayers to the fan.
“Truly hate what happened tonight. Can’t help but think about that guy, his family and friends. I pray tonight for him,” McCutchen wrote. “Let us think about his loved ones and hug our families a little tighter tonight. I hope he pulls thru. May God Bless you all. Good night.”
Fans in the right-field stands who witnessed the incident spoke to TribLIVE about what they saw and said that the fall was a result of the man being overly excited.
“Once they hit that double, he got too excited,” a fan said to TribLIVE. “I looked over and saw everyone crowded at the fence and shouting. That’s a pretty serious fall. Something like that’s very sad to happen.”
Players from both teams were seen kneeling on the field during the stoppage, which lasted around 10 minutes. Comments from Pittsburgh players are limited as the Pirates closed the clubhouse after the game, according to MLB.com.
