Pirates fan who fell from wall at PNC Park in Pittsburgh identified

The Pirates fan who fell from the 21-foot Clemente Wall in right field at PNC Park in Pittsburgh has been identified, as a community leader says he is “fighting for his life.”

Kavan Markwood, 21, was critically injured after he fell from the bleachers and landed on the warning track during Wednesday’s Pirates-Cubs game, officials said. 

“There are some positive signs that were shared with me that he is responding to, but he’s fighting for his life right now,” South Allegheny School District Superintendent David McDonald told KDKA on Thursday. 

Kavan Markwood identified as fan who fell

Markwood graduated from South Allegheny High School in 2022, a district spokesperson confirmed on Thursday. 

In a statement, the district spokesperson said Markwood “made a lasting impact on the South Allegheny community” while he was a student. 

Markwood played football for the Gladiators and was named team MVP as a senior. He also took home all-conference honors. He went on to play football at Walsh University in Ohio before enrolling at Wheeling University in West Virginia.

“Kavan is best known for his resilience, strength, and kindness,” the district spokesperson said. “He is a friend to all—someone who lifts others up and faces challenges with courage and grace.”

McDonald said Markwood is “just a good, solid young man.”

“If there is somebody who going to be able to overcome this, it’s going to be Kavan Markwood because he’s a tough kid,” he said. “He’s a fighter. He’s proven that for 21 years to get to the point where he is now, and we need to rally around Kavan.”   

Fan in critical condition after accidental fall at PNC Park

Pittsburgh Public Safety said in an update on Thursday that it is treating the fall as “accidental in nature.”

On Thursday, Pirates Chairman Bob Nutting released a statement that said, in part: “We are all deeply saddened and truly heartbroken after the terrible accident that occurred last night. It was one of the most difficult moments many of us have ever experienced.”

Markwood fell moments after the Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen hit an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh inning on Wednesday. Markwood was taken to a hospital in Pittsburgh for treatment. He remained in critical condition on Thursday. 

Sources told KDKA that Markwood, who was at the baseball game with his best friend and girlfriend, fractured his skull. Markwood’s friend jumped onto the field from the stands after the fall. 

“Kavan is at a baseball game with some friends, rooting for the Bucs and having fun at a game with friends. (McCutchen) hits a double and he jumps up and he’s excited, and a horrible thing happened,” McDonald said. 

McDonald says Markwood had just gotten a job in insurance and was set to start taking certification classes.

“He is really a success story from the standpoint of his mental toughness, his personal toughness,” McDonald said. “But he’s got a chipped front tooth and when he smiled at you, he had that mischievous smile that melted you.”