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The mother of the man who was seriously injured Saturday night in a fall at Bank of America Stadium says her son slipped after he took a photo.
Sean Michael Powers, 22, of New Port Richey, Fla., fell about 40 feet from a fourth-level ramp at the stadium, a few minutes after the kickoff of the ACC championship football game between Florida State and Georgia Tech.
“While walking up the ramp, the victim jumped up on the safety wall and accidently fell over the side of the wall due to his momentum,” the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police report said.
Powers landed in a grassy area outside of the North Gate and was transported to Carolinas Medical Center.
As of Monday, he was still in critical condition. The Tampa Bay Times reported that Powers suffered a fractured skull, a crushed kidney that had to be removed, and a broken arm.
Kristen Evers, the injured man’s mother, told Time-Warner Bay 9 News in Tampa that her son was on his way to his seat and stopped to take a picture. After snapping the photo, she said, he slipped over a railing and fell.
Records indicate it was the first incident of its kind at Bank of America Stadium, which opened in 1996.
Carolina Panthers spokesman Charlie Dayton said that the organization has always emphasized safety and security at the stadium.
He added that the organization has not received a final police report. At this time, there are no changes planned for the stadium or its operations.
Evers told Bay 9 News that Powell’s brothers are having a tough time dealing with the injury.
“They just lost their dad this past February, and the brothers are having a very difficult time,” said Evers, a nurse at a Tampa hospital. “Sean is deeply loved, he’s fun-loving, and his friends truly love him.” Staff writer Elisabeth Arriero, WCNC-TV, Bay 9 News and the Tampa Bay Times contributed
