Fan in fatal plunge ID'd as firefighter

A medical examiner has identified the man who died after falling from the stands in Arlington, Texas while trying to reach for a baseball.

Firefighter Shannon Stone attended last night's Oakland-Texas game with his young son when All-Star outfielder Josh Hamilton tossed a foul ball in his direction. The 39-year-old caught the ball and then tumbled over the outfield railing, falling about 20 feet onto concrete.

Stone went into cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital and was pronounced dead shortly after.

Fall from Texas Rangers's stands kills fan

Team president Nolan Ryan called the incident a tragic accident. "As an organization, and as our team members and our staff, we're very heavy-hearted about this, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family."

On Friday, Melanie Larose, a friend of Stone's family, released a statement on their behalf that said they were devastated by the tragedy. They thanked everybody for their support and requested privacy.

The accident happened in the second inning when outfielder Hamilton picked up a foul ball and tossed it into the stands. Replays showed that Stone reached out for the ball and caught it before he tumbled over.

"He went straight down," said Ronnie Hargis, who was sat next to Stone in the stands. "I tried to grab him, but I couldn't."

Hargis' daughter said Stone's head was bleeding badly.

Stone was still conscious when he laid on the ground and reportedly said, "my son's up there alone," before he died.

According to CBS station KTVT in Dallas, Stone was a lieutenant with the Brownwood Fire Department and was a firefighter for 17 years. The city of Brownwood is flying flags at half-staff and will do so through the day of Stone's funeral.