Richard Garrity
Cubs Fan Climbed On Handrail With Cup Before Falling To Death
May 23, 2017 6:47 AM
CHICAGO (CBS) — The Chicago Cubs fan who died after a fall at Wrigley Field last week was climbing on a railing with a red cup in his hand when he fell backward and hit his head on the concrete below, a police official said Monday.
Richard Garrity, 42, of Wheaton suffered head injuries Tuesday night and died the next day at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.
Garrity, a marketing manager for Heineken, was at the Cubs’ win over the Cincinnati Reds. He was on a work outing with his wife. Cubs officials believe they were sitting in Section 239, which is in the main grandstand, close to the right-field foul pole.
Garrity, the father of a boy and a girl, was leaving the game shortly before 11 p.m. after most fans had exited the stadium, officials said. He fell over a handrail on a ramp leading from the upper deck to the terrace level, officials said.
Garrity landed on his head after falling more than five feet, officials said. He was taken to the hospital in a private ambulance. Police were contacted about the accident the next day after he died, officials told the Sun-Times.
Police said two associates of Garrity saw him climb on the handrail with the cup before he fell. A stadium employee heard the fall but didn’t see it. The Cook County medical examiner’s office has ruled the death an accident.
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The handrail that Garrity fell over was 36 inches high. Some major league ballparks have 42-inch handrails.
“Given the age of our ballpark, we have been grandfathered,” said Julian Green, vice president of communications for the Cubs. The height of the railing “in no way contributed to this incident.”
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CHICAGO (CBS) — Autopsy results were released Thursday for a 42-year-old man who was at Tuesday’s Cubs-Reds game when he tumbled over a railing for unknown reasons around 11 p.m., as he was exiting the stadium.
Richard Garrity, Junior’s death was ruled an accident, caused by injuries to the skull and brain after falling from a significant height.
As the Cubs cheered coach Joe Maddon’s 1,000th win Tuesday, Rick Garrity, Jr. was celebrating the last victory he would see.
Minutes later, the longtime fan fell over a Wrigley Field railing. The fall caused him to strike his head, causing severe trauma. Garrity Jr. was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he died Wednesday afternoon.
“I’ll miss him dearly,” said Rick Garrity, Sr.
Garrity, Sr. told CBS 2 over the phone that the circumstances around his 42-year-old son’s death are hazy; confusion, especially that night when his daughter-in-law couldn’t find her husband.
“She was calling him on his cellphone and there was no answer and finally somone picked up and it was the hospital,” Garrity, Sr. said.
Garrity, Jr. was at Wrigley Field for a work event with Heineken. Representatives for the company call the marketing manager a passionate member of the Heineken family and say they are committed to supporting his wife and two children.
Meanwhile, Wrigleyville Alderman Tom Tunney said the baseball team is keeping contact during its internal investigation.
“The Cubs have proven they do things right and they are certainly the most at-risk at whether it is inside or exterior and I know that they have all their safety experts and team not only on this case, but every day along the ballpark,” Ald. Tunney said.
Garrity’s father was too distraught to discuss any possible legal action. Instead, he broke down describing the fun-loving dad of a 5- and 9-year-old.
“He was a great person,” Garrity, Sr. said.
The Cubs issued a statement saying the thoughts and prayers of the entire organization are with the Garrity family.
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CHICAGO (AP) - Chicago police are investigating the death of a 42-year-old man who fell over a railing at Wrigley Field.
Richard E. Garrity of Wheaton was pronounced dead Wednesday at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. An autopsy Thursday by the Cook County medical examiner determined he died of head injuries from an accidental fall.
Authorities say Garrity fell and suffered head trauma as he was leaving the ballpark after Tuesday night's game between the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds.
Cubs spokesman Julian Green said Thursday the team doesn't know how far Garrity fell, but it wasn't from the upper deck. Spokesmen for the Chicago police and fire departments also said they didn't have information on where or how Garrity fell.
Garrity's father, Richard Garrity Sr., told The Chicago Tribune his son had been attending a work outing with his wife and co-workers.
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ORIGINAL STORY: A man who struck his head after tumbling over a railing at Chicago's Wrigley Field has died.
The Cook County medical examiner's office says 42-year-old Richard E. Garrity of Wheaton was pronounced dead Wednesday at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.
Authorities say Garrity fell over a railing after Tuesday night's game between the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds. Police say he suffered head trauma from the fall.
The medical examiner has scheduled an autopsy for Thursday to determine the cause of death.
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Cubs fan dies after falling over railing at Wrigley: 'He was a great guy, everyone loved him'
Richard E. Garrity is survived by his wife, 9-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son.
Rosemary Regina Sobol and Tony Briscoe Chicago Tribune
A Wheaton man died a day after falling over a railing and hitting his head while leaving Wrigley Field after Tuesday night's game, officials said.
Richard E. Garrity, 42, was pronounced dead at 3:33 p.m. Wednesday at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Garrity was taken by private ambulance to the hospital, police said.
The Cubs said in a statement that Garrity fell as he was leaving the ballpark around 11 p.m. The game had ended around 10:20 p.m.
"The thoughts and prayers of our entire organization are with his family during this difficult time," the Cubs statement said.
Garrity, a marketing manager for Heineken, had attended the Cubs game against the Cincinnati Reds as a work outing with colleagues and his wife, according to his father, Richard Garrity Sr.
“He was a great guy, everyone loved him,” Garrity said of his son, who loved golfing and gardening. “When he walked in a room, there were no strangers.”
He said his son was a lifelong Cubs fan.
The elder Garrity said he spoke with his son during the game because he was babysitting the couple’s 9-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son.
Relatives didn’t have many details about the circumstances of Garrity’s death. His wife wasn’t with him and had tried to call him after the game, his father said. She learned he had been taken to the hospital.
A graduate of Arizona State University, Garrity Jr. had also worked for Chicago Beverage Systems, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was born in Aurora and lived in the 2300 block of Embden Lane, according to the medical examiner's office. An autopsy was slated for Thursday