UW fraternity member hurt in fall from ladder

A 19-year-old man slipped off a ladder at a University of Washington fraternity house late Wednesday, adding to a string of recent serious injuries in the Greek system.

The man, whose name was not released, was climbing a ladder at the Theta Chi fraternity at 4535 17th Ave. N.E. just before midnight to unlock an upper-floor patio when he fell about 25 feet, said Seattle police spokesman Jeff Kappel.

He landed on his back and was unconscious and bleeding from the back of his head when officers and paramedics arrived. After being taken to Harborview Medical Center, he was interviewed by officers, who determined the case was an accident. A second person was on the ladder above the injured man, but did not fall.

The status of the 19 year-old man, who is from Seattle, was unclear on Friday.

Fraternity members at the house on Friday said the man was doing fine and that it hadn't been a serious incident, but the Theta Chi executive director, Dale Taylor, told KOMO-TV that the man had suffered broken ribs, a skull fracture and fractured vertebrae.

The fall was the third incident in three months at a UW fraternity, including the fatal fall out an open window of 21-year-old Kevin McDonald in June. His death prompted UW administrators and police to consider safety improvements in the Greek system, which has 45 fraternities and sororities with about 3,000 undergrad students.

Since the mid-1980s, six male students have died from falls at the UW — at fraternities or dorms — and at least five more have broken their backs.

Staff reporter Leslie Anne Jones contributed to this story, which includes material from The Seattle Times archives.

Jonathan Martin: 206-464-2605 or jmartin@seattletimes.com.