A spring training game between the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets in Montreal took a scary turn Friday night when a fan fell from the stands at Olympic Stadium.
Constable Raphael Bergeron, spokesman for the Montreal Police, revealed the following information in a call to CNN:
The police received a call at 10:10 p.m. Friday night. The unidentified 40-year-old man, situated in the stands in right field of Olympic Stadium, slipped and went over a fence, falling approximately 20 feet. The incident was accidental.
The man suffered a concussion and other fractures, but his injuries are not considered life-threatening.
Alcohol could be a factor. Otherwise the case is closed, and no criminality was involved.
According to CTV Montreal, a witness said the man had been trying to start the wave. He climbed onto the railing but lost his footing and fell to the concrete below.
CTV Montreal noted light security and had a varying report on the man’s condition:
Ambulance attendants rushed to the scene to attend to the man as fans watched on at the crowded stadium. …
… Security was reportedly thin in that section in the latter part of the game.
Danny Richer of the Montreal police told CTV Montreal late Friday that the man, “was seriously injured everywhere in his body, he’s still in critical condition, we do fear for his life.”
A fan in the stands was able to capture the scene after paramedics arrived:
This was the first night of Major League Baseball in Montreal since 2004 after the Expos relocated to Washington and became the Nationals.
According to a game recap from Sean Fitz-Gerald of the National Post, it had rained heavily that day, which apparently showed just how old Olympic Stadium is.
Rain was falling heavily outside Olympic Stadium on Friday afternoon, and it was falling only slightly softer inside, by the main gate, where leaks in a skylight allowed puddles to form where fans would be queuing to watch a baseball game for the first time in a decade.
Before the game, former Expos catcher Gary Carter, who passed away in 2012, was honored with a moving tribute.
Former Expos Steve Rogers, Warren Cromartie and Tim Raines stood by Carter’s widow, Sandy, and daughter, Kimmy. During the ceremony, a video included highlights from Carter’s Hall of Fame career.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com