Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The sports world was stunned during the evening of April 30th when a Pittsburgh Pirates fan named Kavan Markwood fell more than 21 feet over the Robert Clemente right field wall on to the field at PNC Park. Fans watched, both in person and on videos later shared on social media, as he laid there motionless while medical personnel scrambled to treat him then taking him off the field on a cart.
Initially, a friend of his reported that the 20-year-old Markwood had suffered a broken neck, clavicle, and back and was in critical condition. Pittsburgh Public Safety officials at first stated that the incident was being treated as “accidental in nature.” The 21-year-old friend that was with him at the game, however, was later charged with furnishing alcohol to a minor by Pennsylvania State Police.
Pirates fan Kavan Markwood speaks about the incident
This week, for the first time since the incident, Kavan Markwood spoke to the media in an interview with Inside Edition. During the conversation, Markwood recalled the events of that evening and his long road to recovery since.
“I don’t know how I’m alive. I wake up with pain every day,” he said after watching the video of his fall from the stands. As it turns out, in addition to the injuries that were initially reported, he also punctured a lung and fractured every rib.
“My arm, I can’t feel my two fingers still. I’m doing better than what I was, that’s for sure,” he continued.
Markwood also added that he “feels terrible” that his buddy got arrested for buying him a couple of beers, saying, the accident “wasn’t his fault.” He said the fall had nothing to do with drinking – his girlfriend told police he drank only two beers that night – and it was just a “tragic accident.”
In the video, Kavan returned to PNC Park for the first time since the accident. The next time he goes to a game there, however, he said he won’t be sitting so high up in the stands.