Jennie Runevitch/Eyewitness News
Indianapolis - A Texas teenager remains in critical condition at Methodist Hospital after falling three stories at Circle Centre Mall during the FFA National Convention.
Counselors are helping students deal with the accident, and now there are new questions about how the boy fell.
Tens of thousands of FFA teens are in town for the national convention. It's become a hallmark event for students and the city of Indianapolis. But this year, the convention's been tinged by tragedy.
"We have had moments of silence," said Texas FFA member, Brian Di Iorio.
16-year-old Phillip Caler, from Booker, Texas, fell three stories Thursday afternoon inside Circle Centre Mall. Police said Caler was sitting on the railing near the escalators when he lost his balance. The 41-foot fall put him in critical condition at Methodist Hospital. A mall employee witnessed the accident.
"All we saw was a gentleman on the top floor, playing on the railing, and then we heard a scream and we looked and he'd fallen on the ground," the witness said.
But now there's some discrepancy over exactly how the teenager fell. Another witness says he wasn't sitting on the railing at all.
Mike Lee, Caler's school superintendent in Booker, Texas, says an FFA advisor saw the escalator cause the fall.
"He was not sitting on the railing. He was standing, from what I understand," Lee said. "Phillip was handing a phone to another student and somehow his jacket or something got caught up in the escalator and pulled him over the side."
It's been a difficult 24 hours for Caler's family and friends. His parents and hometown pastor are with him at Methodist Hospital. They flew into Indianapolis from Texas Thursday night.
The high school sophomore plays football and basketball and recently became an officer for his FFA Chapter.
Fellow members have left messages of support online through Facebook and the at the FFA's National Convention website. They also held moments of silence Friday at events downtown.
"They wanted everyone to just pray for him and place him under the doctor's care so he would get better," said Texas FFA Advisor Mark Foreman.
"He's in our prayers and we all care about him and everything and hope he's doing well," added Di Iorio.
They say the unexpected accident has brought FFA students even closer together as they rally around one of their own.
