Juan Diego freshman critical after fall

Crime • Deck_here_with_period.

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A Juan Diego Catholic High School freshman was in critical condition after falling at the school on Friday.

Pete Benda, 14, fell about 15 to 20 feet from a lift in the auditorium about 12:20 p.m., said Unified Fire Capt. Cliff Burningham. It was not immediately clear what caused him to fall, Burningham added.

Benda was taken to Intermountain Medical Center in critical but stable condition. He was in the intensive care unit with a broken femur and a head injury, according to the school.

Benda had surgery to repair his femur Friday evening. The surgery went well, though he still remained in the ICU, the school added.

The school posted on its Facebook page that the boy's family is grateful for everyone's prayers and support, but is requesting no visitors.

mmcfall@sltrib.com