PITTSBURGH, PA (WTRF) – The 20-year-old man who fell over the 21-foot Clemente Wall at PNC Park during a Pittsburgh Pirates game continues to make remarkable progress.
Kavan Markwood, a former college athlete, fell over a railing and onto the field during the seventh inning of Pittsburgh’s 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs last Wednesday.
He reportedly suffered severe injuries to his neck, clavicle and back, according to Jennifer Phillips, a friend who organized a GoFundMe page for Markwood’s recovery.
On Monday, Phillips added that Markwood was able to take his “first steps” since the accident.
“It’s a slow slow process, but seeing him up and moving was a huge win and definitely lifted everyone’s spirits,” she wrote in an update to the GoFundMe page.
“He still has a long way to go — he’s dealing with a broken neck, clavicle, and back so there are plenty of obstacles ahead,” she added. “But he’s showing real strength, and we’re staying hopeful for a smooth recovery. This will also require plenty of rest and following instructions from the great doctors, nurses and staff at the hospital.”
Markwood fell over a railing at PNC park during the seventh inning of the Pirates-Cubs game on Wednesday, after Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double in the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs to put the Pirates ahead 4-3. Players soon began waving frantically for medical personnel and pointing to Markwood, who had fallen onto the warning track.
He was attended to for approximately five minutes by members of both the Pirates and Cubs training staffs as well as PNC personnel before being removed from the field on a cart.
Pittsburgh Public Safety put out a statement saying the they were treating the incident as accidental. They also are not anticipating providing any additional updates to the public.
Markwood is a former football player for Wheeling University in West Virginia, where be played linebacker for the Cardinals during the 2023 season. He also played one season at Walsh University in Ohio before coming to Wheeling.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.