The man who fell to his death during a Phish concert on Sunday night at San Francisco's Chase Center has been identified, and police say they "have evidence to believe the victim leapt from an elevated part of the arena."
San Francisco's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Ryan Prosser, a 47-year-old from Green County, New York, was the attendee who died, the San Francisco Police Department said in a statement to KCBS Radio on Tuesday afternoon.
"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," police said in a statement to KCBS Radio. "Immediately before the victim leapt, he did not appear to have any physical contact with any person. We have found no evidence of foul play."
Prosser's friend, Frank Bauer of Red Hook, New York, told KTVU that Prosser was a railroad engineer who lived with a dog, Milly. Bauer, Prosser and Brud Brud Vanwagner played on the same over-40 softball team in Red Hook, and Vanwagner told the outlet that Prosser was "a great person" who "would do anything to help another person."
On-duty officers at Sunday's concert responded to reports at 8:55 p.m. that a man required medical attention, then declared him dead after he didn't respond to medical treatment. Police said in a statement on Monday that officers believed the man sustained "injuries from a possible fall," and they had found "no evidence of foul play."
Bauer told KTVU that jumping from a ledge didn't sound like something Prosser, whom he said was "like a brother" to him, would do.
At 9:45 p.m. on Sunday, a different man fell on another attendee. Both men were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police. Officers found "no evidence of any criminal violation" in the second fall.
Golden State Warriors and Chase Center spokesperson Kimberly Veale told KCBS Radio on Monday the organization was "working with local authorities to determine exactly what happened" in both incidents.
"Two guests attending last night's concert were seriously injured," Veale said on Monday. "The San Francisco Medical Examiner's Officer has informed us that, sadly, one of the individuals has passed away. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the guest's loved ones."
Veale told the San Francisco Chronicle on Tuesday that Chase Center "was built and is operated in accordance with" city and state standards. Country music Dan + Shay will perform at the venue on Wednesday, while the Warriors open the regular season on Thursday night. The Eagles will perform in a pair of concerts on Friday and Saturday.
