JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The family of the 24-year-old soccer fan who fell more than 40 feet at EverBank Field this weekend is hoping and praying he pulls through.
Cuidy Joseph is in critical condition at UF Health in Jacksonville.
"He got a big injury," his mother said Monday.
Joseph's family moved to the United States from Haiti, and they work at Publix Supermarkets in town.
Joseph's mother has been by her son's bedside at the hospital all day. Joseph's father is trying to get back as quick as he can. He was down south, taking care of his sick, elderly mother, when he heard about the incident.
During the U.S. men's soccer team's game against Nigeria on Saturday, witnesses said Joseph ran up the stairs to the top of Section 244 on the southeast end of the stadium.
A friend said Joseph, who plays soccer for the Beaches Adult Soccer League, tried to stand on a chair to get a better view of the field, when he fell.
A witness looked over and saw the chair folded up, and Joseph lying on his back on the concrete on the second level concourse. He fell 42 feet, nearly the same height as a four-story building.
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office investigators do not suspect foul play and don't believe Joseph was drinking at the time.
SMG, which manages the stadium on behalf of the city, said EverBank Field is in compliance with safety requirements necessary in all NFL stadiums.
After JSO finishes its investigation, it would pass along any safety recommendations it sees fit.