Kavan Markwood, the fan who fell 20 feet onto the home field of the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 30, spoke publicly for the first time to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Wednesday.
Markwood described back and neck injuries, saying he has “broken everything.”
“I’m all right,” he told the outlet. “I can’t really sleep. I have a lot of back pain.”
A GoFundMe set up by his girlfriend’s mother said Markwood broke his neck, clavicle and back. More than $58,000 has been raised as of Thursday.
The update from Markwood himself comes after his sister, Taryn Markwood, said in a statement Monday that her brother’s condition was improving. He’s breathing on his own, able to speak and squeeze her hand, she said.
“I think when I get home I’ll just put ice on it,” Markwood told the Tribune-Review, saying he would speak more once released from the hospital sometime next week.
Markwood has not watched the horrifying video of his fall over the Roberto Clemente Wall at PNC Park, where he landed on the field during the Pirates’ game against the Chicago Cubs, the Tribune-Review reported.
The 20-year-old plunged two stories after celebrating Pirates outfielder and team leader Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double that gave the Pirates a 4-3 lead in the seventh inning. More than 11,000 people were in the stadium that Wednesday night, falling silent as players took a knee.
Markwood appeared motionless before being rushed to Allegheny General Hospital in critical condition.
McCutchen witnessed the fall and said the team prayed for Markwood after the game, “devastated” by the incident.
“To the Pirates and Cubs players, coaches, staff, and all who paused to take a knee in prayer during that tragic moment — your compassion did not go unnoticed,” Taryn Markwood said in her statement. “It brought a sense of unity and hope amidst the chaos.”
The South Allegheny School District said Markwood graduated in 2022 and was a football standout, with first-team all-conference honors and named team MVP.
Pittsburgh Public Safety said the incident was accidental, not criminal, on May 1 and did not plan on providing additional public updates.
