UCLA Tackle Falls Off Balcony, Critically Hurt

Mike Beech, a freshman football player at UCLA from Newport Beach, was in critical condition Thursday night at UCLA Medical Center after undergoing 14 hours of surgery following a fall from a second-story balcony of a fraternity house.

Beech, an offensive tackle, was taken to the hospital after the 12- to 15-foot fall that occured at 12:40 a.m. Thursday during a party.

According to John Pontarelli, a UCLA Medical Center spokesman, the neurological and facial surgery was completed just after 6 p.m.

UCLA Campus Police Lt. Carl Ross, quoting from a report filed on the incident, said witnesses claimed that Beech had been drinking, but they were not certain if he had been drinking at the party or before he arrived.

Witnesses said in the report that Beech was dancing on the balcony of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house, 581 Gayley Ave., when he fell.

Fraternity president Mark Towery said he would not comment on the incident.

Danny Thompson, a junior fullback from Huntington Beach, said Coach Terry Donahue made an announcement about Beech’s status to the team following the afternoon spring practice session.

“Most of the guys had already heard about it,” Thompson said. “Coach Donahue didn’t have any details, but he told us to keep praying for Mike.

“I went over to the hospital after practice and talked to his parents. They were pretty shook up. But nobody really seemed to know what happened. I wasn’t at the party, but I heard there were a lot of people there.”

Later Thursday night, about 50 teammates, coaches and friends were at the hospital.

Dave Keating, a sophomore wide receiver from Salinas, said: “It’s looking a lot more promising now. They (Beech’s family) are real happy with the latest scan they took. They (doctors) were able to secure more of the brain and control the hemorrhaging.”

Added Keating: “Nobody saw what happened. We just heard that he slipped.”

Bruin quarterback Matt Stevens said Beech was one of the most popular players on the team. “He was well known and well liked,” Stevens said. “When Coach Donahue told us how serious the accident was, the whole team was shocked. I talked briefly with his parents following surgery, and they were taking it as well as could be.”

Beech redshirted his freshman season but had been taking part in spring drills the last two weeks.

Beech, who is 6-7 and 260 pounds, was an All-American lineman at Newport Harbor High School in 1984.