Hockey fan suffers life-threatening injuries after falling from stands during Pittsburgh Penguins game

(PITTSBURGH) — A hockey fan was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after falling from the upper level of the arena during a Pittsburgh Penguins game on Monday, according to the team and local public safety officials.

On Monday at approximately 7:15 p.m., officials were alerted that an individual had fallen from the 200 level of PPG Paints Arena during the Penguins-Blues game, the Pittsburgh Public Safety Department said in a statement.

During the fall, the individual — identified as an adult male — struck another fan who was in the suite below before continuing to fall to the 100 level of the stadium, officials said.

“He was like, teetering a little bit, and then he fell forward. Somehow, he just kept sailing over the seats, and I think his head hit the Plexiglas, or safety glass, and shattered it,” Todd Derr, another game attendee, told Pittsburgh ABC affiliate WTAE.

Paramedics responded immediately and located the patient, who was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, officials said.

The person who was struck by the falling fan during the incident was “evaluated by paramedics on scene and declined transport to the hospital,” officials said.

Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fall, officials said, with the Penguins and OVG Management Group also “closely monitoring the situation.”

“Our concerns remain with the individual and his family at this time,” the Penguins said in a statement.

After the game, Penguins coach Dan Muse said his “thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.”

“Obviously we all come here for a sport and a game and you hear something like that and that puts everything else aside,” Muse said on Monday night.

The status of the man’s condition as of Tuesday was not immediately clear.

The incident comes after a 20-year-old man fell 20 feet onto the outfield warning track during a Pittsburgh Pirates game in April. The man’s friend, 21, was charged for allegedly providing alcohol to the underage fan who fell from the bleachers onto the field during the seventh inning of the Pirates-Cubs game on April 30.