Though rare, falls from seating areas in stadiums have most often involved professional venues with upper decks, escalators or railed-off areas safeguarding some other drop-off of significant distance. On Saturday, Broken Arrow (Okla.) High School confirmed the death of junior Jaymeson West, who fell from the top of the school’s football stadium after a game Friday night.
According to the Tulsa World, West fell immediately after the game as many fans were exiting the stadium. As of Friday night, with detectives and crime scene investigators present, police said they believed the fall was an accident. West, a saxophone player in the Pride of Broken Arrow band, was transported from the scene by emergency responders to a local hospital.
It is unclear as of this writing exactly how far West fell, but the home stands at Broken Arrow Memorial Stadium stretch 40 seating rows high. The grandstand is topped by a railing system that appears in stadium photos to be several feet high and screened.
The high school media center was open Sunday afternoon for students seeking counseling, and counselors will be available all day Monday.
“As a mother of two students, one of whom is a Pride member, I am absolutely heartbroken,” Broken Arrow Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Janet Dunlop said in a statement. “We are a family in Broken Arrow and are working together to make sure Jaymeson’s family and all of our students have everything they need during this devastating time.”
