The fan who Fell from the 6.4-metre-high wall in right field at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park on Wednesday has been identified as a 20-year-old former college football player, The Post reported.
Kavan Markwood, who is in a critical condition, graduated in 2022 from South Allegheny High School in western Pennsylvania, according to a school district official who confirmed his identity to TribLive.
District spokeswoman Laura Thomas described him as a “hard-working and very resilient young man”.
The 20-year-old played college football at Wheeling University in Division II in West Virginia as a linebacker in 2023, but left the team the following year for work reasons, TMZ reported.
The fan’s fall in Pittsburgh
Markwood fell 21 feet over the Clemente wall in right field at Pittsburgh’s baseball park during the Cubs-Pirates game Wednesday night.
He lost his balance over a 90-centimeter-high railing while celebrating Andrew McCutchen‘s two-run double that gave the Pirates the lead in the seventh inning of the game.
Several witnesses said Markwood was excited, took off his shirt and poured a beer on himself before McCutchen’s at-bat.
Zac Bruney, his coach at Wheeling, told TMZ that Markwood “was a very good young man.”
South Allegheny School District athletic director Mike Brown said Markwood had “left an indelible mark on the South Allegheny community, both as an athlete and as a young man of character”.
“Kavan is known for his resilience, strength and kindness. He is a friend to all, someone who encourages others and faces challenges with courage and grace,” added Brown.
The Pirates offered prayers for the fan on Thursday before their game with the Cubs, and also recognized the medical staff who responded quickly after Markwood’s fall.
“We are devastated,” Pirates president Bob Nutting said. “Pirates baseball is a community, and our fans are like family. In times like this, we must come together, support each other and keep him and his loved ones in our prayers.”
Read the full article here
