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Maple Lake man dies after falling down stairs at US Bank Stadium
Josh Engle is remembered as a loving, adventurous father of four. The 45-year-old Maple Lake man died after falling down stairs at U.S. Bank Stadium during the Packers-Vikings game last month.
MAPLE LAKE, Minn. (FOX 9) - Josh Engle loved adventure.
"He always used to take us camping on trails, even if it was like 5 degrees out, he would say, 'Well, just get on your snow pants!'" said his son, Brayden.
The 45-year-old father of four thrived being out in nature, spending every minute he could in the great outdoors.
"He was huge into fishing, ice fishing, anything outdoors, he absolutely loved," said his wife, Amber.
Josh Engle with his son, Brayden (provided)
The loves of his life were family and friends, and he was spending time with some buddies on November 21 at the Packers-Vikings game at U.S. Bank Stadium.
After finding their seats in the 300 level, Josh got up to get concessions with a buddy during the first quarter. At some point, he fell down the stairs in the seating section, hitting his head and suffering a traumatic brain injury. He was rushed to Hennepin Healthcare.
Josh and his wife, Amber (provided)
Amber was at work when she got the call.
"By the time I got there, I was being rushed into the room, and they let me know that he needed to have emergency surgery. It wasn't to fix anything, but it was to save his life, at that point," said Amber.
She says she still doesn't know exactly what happened but was able to see video of the fall from the stadium.
"I watched him just kind of step into another seat and I don't know what happened from there, but he was literally flying down the stairs after that, and then I saw him crash onto the bottom," said Amber.
Josh Engle suffered a traumatic brain injury after falling down the stairs at U.S. Bank Stadium. (provided)
After more than three weeks in a coma, his family made the difficult decision to say goodbye last week.
"I got to give him a few kisses right before, and they called it at 3:13 that day," said Amber.
But in death, Josh gave others the gift of life through organ donation. Hospital staff organized an honor walk to pay tribute to the selfless act.
The Minnesota Vikings sent FOX 9 this statement regarding Engle's death:
We are deeply saddened by the recent death of Josh Engle, who experienced a tragic fall during the first quarter of the Packers-Vikings game on November 21. Josh was a passionate Vikings fan, but more importantly, based on our conversations with his family, he was a loving husband, father, and friend. Our hearts go out to the entire Engle family during this difficult time.
ASM Global, which manages U.S. Bank Stadium, also provided FOX 9 with the following statement:
Shortly after kickoff on November 21, Josh Engle, a spectator, fell down the stairs of a seating section and sustained a head injury. Following the accident, medical staff rendered first aid and Josh was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center.
We have been in contact with the family since the accident and we are saddened to learn of Josh’s passing earlier this week. Our thoughts are with the Engle family, and we respect their request for privacy at this time.
A GoFundMe has been organized to help the Engle family. Learn more about Josh's journey on his Caring Bridge page.