A man sustained life-threatening injuries after falling from the upper seating area at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh during Monday’s NHL game between the Penguins and St. Louis Blues.
According to officials with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, the yet-to-be publicly identified man fell from the 200-level concourse into the lower concourse roughly 15 minutes after the game began.
The man struck another fan in a suite-level section, then continued his fall into the 100-level seating area, officials said.
The falling fan was transported to the nearby Mercy Hospital with life-threatening injuries, officials told WTAE. The other person struck during the fall was evaluated by paramedics and declined further treatment.
Authorities say few in attendance appeared to see the incident live, though images of broken glass from one of arena’s top levels circulated in local media soon after.
The Penguin’s organization and the arena’s management group confirmed they are monitoring the situation, while law enforcement continues to investigate the circumstances of the fall.
“Our concerns remain with the individual and his family at this time,” the Penguins said in a statement Monday.
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who reached 1,700 NHL points, said the team learned about the fall after the game.
“It doesn’t feel right to be talking about points when you hear something like that,” Crosby told reporters, according to NBC Philadelphia. “Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are with that person and their family and hopefully they’re OK.”
Head coach Dan Muse also offered support, adding, “We all come here for a sport and a game, and when you hear something like that, it kind of puts everything else aside. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.”
The Independent contacted representatives for the Penguins on Tuesday for additional comment.
Monday’s incident comes amid a troubling pattern of falls at major Pittsburgh sports venues. On Saturday, a worker at Acrisure Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, suffered serious injuries after falling approximately 50 feet from the stadium’s main scoreboard.
In May, 20-year-old Kavan Markwood fell 21 feet from PNC Park’s Clemente Wall during a Pirates game. He was hospitalized in critical condition and later recovered. An acquaintance was later charged with providing him with alcohol, as he was underage at the time of the incident.
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