The man who died during the Phish concert on Sunday at the Chase Center in San Francisco may have jumped, rather than fallen, police are now saying.
“The investigation has evidence to believe the victim leapt from an elevated area of the arena causing him to fall a significant distance, which caused his injuries,” according to a statement from the San Francisco Police Department. “Immediately before the victim leapt, he did not appear to have any physical contact with any person or barrier/railing.”
The man was identified by the San Francisco Medical Examiner’s Office’s Tuesday as a 47-year-old resident of Athens N.Y., a town of 4,000 people about 30 miles south of the state capitol of Albany.
The incident occurred during the first of two sets that the popular jam band performed at the venue. The group also played on Saturday at Chase Center.
Police officers, who were already on-duty at the concert, were alerted to the incident just before 9 p.m. and arrived to the area to find an adult male who was suffering from injuries.
“Officers immediately rendered aid and summoned medics to the scene,” according to SFPD statement. “Medics arrived and immediately provided medical treatment, but despite the efforts of the emergency responders the victim succumbed to his injuries and was declared deceased.”
Two other fans were also injured at the concert, a little less than an hour later, when one person fell and apparently struck another concertgoer. Both individuals were later taken to the hospital to be treated for “non-life threatening injuries,” police said.
“I was at the next section over on the (aisle) from the non-fatal incident,” another fan noted on Reddit. “During intermission the guy must have been at the very top walking over a seat and slipped … and went over the shield onto Portal 50.”
Phish, one of the world’s most popular touring acts, also performed on Oct. 15 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
Sunday night’s show continued on, and many fans as well as the band members — guitarist Trey Anastasio, drummer Jon Fishman, bassist Mike Gordon and keyboardist Page McConnell — apparently did not find out what had happened until afterward.
The band commented about the Chase Center tragedy during its show on Oct. 19 in Eugene, Oregon. You can watch the video of Anastasio addressing the crowd in Eugene here.
If you or someone you know is struggling with feelings of depression or suicidal thoughts, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers free, round-the-clock support, information and resources for help. Reach the lifeline at 800-273-8255.
