A WSU student was airlifted to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane this weekend after sustaining serious injuries from a possible fall.
The student was identified as Ben Kappler, a senior social studies major. He was found at 2 a.m. Sunday morning on campus at the bottom of the stairs behind the library, said Lt. Steve Hansen of the WSU Police Department.
Kappler was taken to Pullman Regional Hospital where he was later airlifted to Sacred Heart Medical Center, Hansen said. The incident is still under investigation by WSU police.
A public relations representative at Sacred Heart Medical Center confirmed Kappler is a patient there and said he is in serious condition in the intensive care unit.
Kappler was alone when he was hurt, and it is unclear whether he tripped or fell on the stairs, Hansen said. He was found by a stranger who called 911.
Hansen said Kappler was conscious when the police and paramedics arrived on scene.
“Be careful and safe when you’re out having a good time,” Hansen said. “I am not saying don’t have a good time, but make sure you’re able to make it home safe.”
It is still unconfirmed by police whether alcohol was a factor in his fall.
This is the second serious fall-related injury of a WSU student this year. In September, WSU student Chad Heffelfinger fell off a 23-foot retaining wall and sustained severe head and facial injuries. In 2009, 21-old-year-old Stuart Robertson died after falling off a cliff near the Moscow-Pullman Highway.
In both falls, alcohol was later confirmed to be a factor by police.
The director of the ER at Pullman Regional Hospital, Stacey Aggabao, previously said that fall-related injuries are not uncommon.


Posted: 11/8/2011 12:44:12 PM
Anonymous