Fan Falls at Pirates Game: About the PNC Park Incident

A baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs had to pause after a fan fell from the stands during the seventh inning on Wednesday, April 30. The fan’s identity has not been disclosed by the time of publication. The individual’s age is unclear, but the person is an adult male.

The fall from the stands to the field is about a 20-foot drop.

Social media videos of the moment showed the man seemingly holding onto the railing before flipping over it and falling onto the ground. Cubs and Pirates players didn’t initially see what happened because the game was still in motion. PNC staff and other employees tended to the fan before removing him from the field on a golf cart.

Players from both the Cubs and the Pirates were seen taking a knee after the incident. The game resumed several minutes after staff took the unidentified individual to a hospital.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton commented on the harrowing moment, calling it “extremely unfortunate,” according to Yahoo! Sports.

pic.twitter.com/pPCTQok0FV

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 1, 2025

“Even though it’s 350 feet away or whatever it is, I mean the fact of how it went down and then laying motionless while the play is going on, I mean, [Cubs manager] Craig [Counsell] saw it, I saw it. We both got out there,” Shelton said, according to the outlet. “I think the umpires saw it because of the way it kicked. It’s extremely unfortunate. That’s an understatement.”

The Cubs’ Counsell later pointed out that they didn’t understand how the individual fell.

“We didn’t know what we saw. All we saw was somebody laying on the warning track, and you know, that’s not good,” he said, per NBC Chicago, adding, “I hope the gentleman’s OK. Thinking about his family and him right now.”

Officials later announced that the individual was in critical condition and that the fall was under investigation.

“Pittsburgh Police VCU detectives are investigating after a male fell ~20 feet from the bleachers at PNC Park onto the field of play during the @Pirates game,” Pittsburgh Public Safety tweeted later that evening. “Pittsburgh EMS field medics treated him on scene until he could be transported to the hospital in critical condition.”