Fan Injured After Apparent Jump from Wrigley Field Bleachers

There was no immediate word of the man's condition

A man was carted off Wrigley Field after apparently jumping from the bleachers onto the warning track during a rain delay before a game between the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs on Thursday night.

"Prior to tonight’s game, a fan was injured after attempting to jump onto the field from the Wrigley Field bleachers. The fan was taken by paramedics to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center," a spokesperson for the Cubs said in a statement.

"We are unable to provide further comment on his condition at this time. We will remain in contact with the fan’s family to stay updated on his progress."

Witnesses said the man, dressed in shorts, sneakers, and a Mets jersey, was face down in front of the ivy in right-center field when officials ran from the dugouts to assist him. They immediately checked his pulse while a medic ran in from right field.

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"We heard several people screaming and we heard him land on the ground," said Barrett Graessle, who was sitting in the bleachers when the incident occurred.

"He was not moving, he was face down, no movement in his arms and legs but he was breathing," Graessle added. 

It took three people to turn the man over onto his back. They then pulled up his shirt and put on a brace to stabilize his neck before strapping him onto a backboard and loading him into a cart.

Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr. and pitching coach Chris Bosio also went out to the outfield to check on the man.

There was no immediate word of the man's name or his condition. There was a visible dip in the yellow fencing at the top of the wall above where the man was treated.

The incident occurred just after 7 p.m., about the scheduled start time. But the tarp was on the field because of earlier heavy rain.

The Wrigley Field bleachers are known for for their party-like atmosphere and sometimes rowdy behavior.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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