Editor’s Note: The story has been updated to reflect the most recent information.
A house party near Palmer Street was cut short Friday night when a man attempted to climb a utility pole and ended up falling into the crowd below, as seen in multiple videos posted online.
According to witnesses, the videos show a large crowd gathered behind a row of houses on Palmer Street at about 9:30 p.m.
The man can be seen making his way to the top of the pole and raising his drink. After a flash, the man falls into the crowd below.
Bobcat Barstool asked students on Twitter to stop sending videos of the incident. A video sent in reply to the post on Twitter said the man is OK but shows him in the hospital with injuries to his legs and arm.
The Athens Police Department responded to 19B Palmer St., and the man was transported by ACEMS in critical condition.
According to a university statement, the man is not a student at Ohio University.
“The kid started climbing up the pole ... he gets past the first set of wires ,” one witness who asked to remain anonymous said.
The witness said the man raised his beer to the crowd and touched the wire. He did about two cartwheels before falling to the ground.
The witness added the individual was responsive while on the ground and first responders showed up about three minutes later.
The statement from OU also encourages any students that may have been impacted by the incident to reach out to the Dean of Students’ office or to Counseling and Psychological Services.
Kelsey Boeing and Ellen Wagner contributed to the report.
