The GAA player who ended up in a coma after being seriously injured in a game in San Francisco has awakened from his coma.
Mark McGovern, 22, was rushed to hospital after an off-the-ball incident in the game in June. In a statement on the Belcoo O'Rahilly's (McGovern's team in his native Fermanagh) website, Grace McGovern said her brother has regained consciousness and was fully aware of his surroundings and everyone around him.
"Mark is yet to talk but has been trying to lip-read words in order to communicate with us. Mark has attempted a few steps with assistance," she said.
San Francisco police have identified a "person of interest" in an investigation sparked by the incident which led to initial fears that the Fermanagh native might not regain consciousness.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, police said an American player was seen standing over the prone McGovern, after he fell to the ground with what was later diagnosed as a traumatic brain injury.
The case is being investigated as a possible assault, but the individual was not being named because no charges had been filed, the report stated.
Two witnesses told local police that a player on the opposing team stood over the prone McGovern and said, "you won't get up from that."
McGovern was playing for the Ulster GAA Club in San Francisco against the local Celts side. He flew to San Francisco on a JI Visa in part to play football for the summer and was in the city for just a week when the incident took place in the game, played on June 25.
McGovern had lined out for the Fermanagh senior side in this year's Dr. McKenna Cup.
