What began as a thrilling seventh-inning rally by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night quickly turned into a scene of fear and silence, as a man fell from the 21-foot-high Clemente Wall in right field at PNC Park .
The fall occurred moments after Andrew McCutchen smacked a two-run double that gave the Pirates a 4-3 lead over the Chicago Cubs . But as fans roared and players celebrated, attention abruptly shifted toward the warning track, where the man lay motionless after plummeting over the outfield wall.
Players from both teams urgently waved for medical help. Pirates manager Derek Shelton and Cubs manager Craig Counsell immediately rushed to alert the umpiring crew. “Even though it’s 350 feet away, the way he went down and then just laid there, it was awful,” Shelton said. “That’s an understatement.”
Trainers from both teams and stadium staff tended to the man for nearly five minutes before he was carefully loaded onto a cart and driven off the field. The Pirates later said he was taken to Allegheny General Hospital. His condition remains unknown.
McCutchen was seen holding a cross from his necklace, praying alongside teammates. Cubs players dropped to their knees, heads bowed. “I didn’t see it happen, but from the look on Counsell’s face, I knew it was serious,” said Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson. “I’ve never been part of something like that. I hope I never am again.”
The incident rekindled painful memories of previous stadium tragedies, including the 2015 fall of a Braves fan at Turner Field and the 2011 death of a Texas Rangers fan reaching for a ball. Despite those past warnings, fans continue to fall victim to steep drops at sporting venues.
Though play resumed, the atmosphere inside PNC Park never fully recovered.
As Swanson put it: “Fans are why we get to do what we love. Tonight was a brutal reminder of how fragile life can be—even in a ballpark.”
The fall occurred moments after Andrew McCutchen smacked a two-run double that gave the Pirates a 4-3 lead over the Chicago Cubs . But as fans roared and players celebrated, attention abruptly shifted toward the warning track, where the man lay motionless after plummeting over the outfield wall.
Players from both teams urgently waved for medical help. Pirates manager Derek Shelton and Cubs manager Craig Counsell immediately rushed to alert the umpiring crew. “Even though it’s 350 feet away, the way he went down and then just laid there, it was awful,” Shelton said. “That’s an understatement.”
NEW: Pirates fan appears to jump over a 20 foot wall, landing on the field, at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 1, 2025
The incident happened after Pirates' Andrew McCutchen hit an RBI double in the seventh inning.
According to CBS News, medical staff quickly came to his aid and… pic.twitter.com/LqtZFpAIPM
Trainers from both teams and stadium staff tended to the man for nearly five minutes before he was carefully loaded onto a cart and driven off the field. The Pirates later said he was taken to Allegheny General Hospital. His condition remains unknown.
McCutchen was seen holding a cross from his necklace, praying alongside teammates. Cubs players dropped to their knees, heads bowed. “I didn’t see it happen, but from the look on Counsell’s face, I knew it was serious,” said Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson. “I’ve never been part of something like that. I hope I never am again.”
The incident rekindled painful memories of previous stadium tragedies, including the 2015 fall of a Braves fan at Turner Field and the 2011 death of a Texas Rangers fan reaching for a ball. Despite those past warnings, fans continue to fall victim to steep drops at sporting venues.
Though play resumed, the atmosphere inside PNC Park never fully recovered.
As Swanson put it: “Fans are why we get to do what we love. Tonight was a brutal reminder of how fragile life can be—even in a ballpark.”
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