The tragic death of a River fan at the Monumental led to the suspension of the match against Defense and Justice

It was 6:39 p.m. The party quickly turned into a mourning page. That’s when a group of fans from a Morón branch verified that one of his friends was not there. That it had been him. The deepest pain invaded them, sitting in a corner, on the outskirts of the Monument. Among them, his 15-year-old daughter.

Tragedy covers Argentine soccer, once again. The match between River and Defense and Justicefor the 19th date of the Professional Soccer League, was suspended this Saturday 25 minutes into the first half for the death of a fan, which fell from the Sívori Alta tribune. As it became known a couple of hours later, the supporter’s name was Pablo Marcelo Serrano, he was a season-ticketing member and he was 53 years old. According to police investigative sources, the cameras show that a long-haired man approaches the railing, looks down, looks back, steps forward, and throws himself into the void. These are clear indications of suicide.

His daughter went to another sector of the Monumental and had to testify in court minutes after the tragic outcome. Jorge Brito, the president, accompanied her until the last minute she was in the stadium, after 9:00 p.m. While the game was being played, meetings began between security members and local authorities. There were serious indications of a tragedy. A group of fans located in the middle and lower zone of the Sívori, in a Monumental packed with more than 83,000 spectators, asked the referee Fernando Rapallini to stop the game due to the fall of a supporter from the upper stand. The match was interrupted for a couple of minutes, then continued, amidst the whistles of the people, due to the seriousness of what had happened.

Finally, after 25 minutes, with the news of the death of the fan, Rapallini declared the game suspended after calling the captains, Franco Armani and Ezekiel Unsainthe archers. The River squad approached the stands where the fan was lying, greeted the fans with applause and went into the changing room area, also involved in a commotion that spread through all corners of the stadium.

The man, with long hair (which is why it was believed at first that it was a woman), died instantly from the impact of the 16 meter fall. The doctor arrived one minute and 30 seconds later and confirmed the death, according to official information provided by security agencies. During the first half hour, they were asked to remain in the stands to release doors and turnstiles to carry out the evacuation. and it was agreed the final suspension of the party celsa ramirez, the prosecutor who understands the case, thinks about closing that sector of the court. River will play this Wednesday against Fluminense, in a decisive match for the Copa Libertadores, on the same stage.

Alberto Crescenti, owner of Same, spoke with TyC Sports about the death of the fan. “We received a call to 911 for an emergency. The first thing we needed to know was whether the fall had been into or out of the stadium. They informed us that it was inland and we sent a special unit and an ambulance, beyond the coverage of the club, to complement the action. We meet this deceased man, with a very serious head injury”, he warned.

The doctor was moved by the situation. “We don’t know why she fell. The injury suffered is incompatible with life. There is a gazebo to protect the area and for the prosecution and justice to act. From the tent he goes to the judicial morgue and there the autopsy will be done to see if he has a previous injury or not (the blow to the head) ”, he commented. “He fell from more than 16 meters high and hit his head. He is a long-haired male (which explains why she was initially thought to be female). I do not want to go into more detail”, he pointed out, noticing, without saying it emphatically, how the body was left, due to the violence of the impact.

The incident occurred at 4:55 p.m. The club’s security videos confirmed from the outset that the person jumped, that he threw himself into the void. He died instantly, as a result of the fall. In no video is determined, at the same time, a fight, a struggle, a previous push. The fans immediately began to scream, in obvious shock. “Stop the game, the p… what gave birth to you” and “an ambulance, the p… that gave birth to you”, were the first desperate cries of supporters, given the seriousness of the situation, while the ball kept rolling.

There were even shouts Franco Armani, who defended the arch next to the Sívori tribune, to notify the judge. The archer turned around a couple of times, not really understanding what had happened. According to witnesses, the moment was overwhelming, with children crying, surrounded by firefighters and police, until the doctor who confirmed the death arrived. Then the game was suspended, the players and fans withdrew. And the investigation began. The meeting would be completed on the next FIFA date, between the 17th and 18th of this month.

At 6:39 p.m., the millionaire entity and the City Security Committee issued a statement, in which they expanded on what happened. “The Football Safety Committee and Club Atlético River Plate regret to report that, in this afternoon’s match against Defense and Justice, a supporter jumped into the void from the Sívori Alta stand and died on the spot. The medical service immediately arrived at the area of ​​the incident, as did the police and the various security agencies.”

“The Sivori Alta grandstand, where the deceased person had his subscription, was at 90% of its capacity. At the time of the fall there was no intervention by third parties. It was also verified that there was no situation of violence in the stands or around it. After 30 minutes, the Stadium was completely evacuated. Security agencies and the Specialized Fiscal Unit for Massive Events, headed by Dr. Celsa Ramírez, are acting and carrying out the pertinent investigations. By instruction of the prosecutor, the gallery was closed for 24 hours to obtain evidence.

River decreed a day of mourning, with the flag at half mast; During the day on Sunday, the activities of the club will be reduced to the minimum and essential.

It was the end of a sad day at the Monumental, while the mist that came from the river covered the stadium.