A 22-year-old UW student fell from a third-story window at the Sigma Chi fraternity Thursday, marking the 13th serious falling incident that has taken place at the UW since 1985.

According to the police report, the apparently intoxicated male victim was sitting on a window ledge before he fell to the ground and was seriously injured.

At the scene, medics with the Seattle Fire Department provided emergency care and then took him to Harborview Medical Center for further treatment. However, Harborview cannot legally release information about his current medical status because he has yet to be publicly identified.

At least five other UW students have been seriously injured and six have been killed in incidents related to falls since 1985, but not all of them were in Greek houses.

The most recent death related to a fall happened in June 2008. Junior Kevin MacDonald died after falling out of his third-story bedroom window at the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity.

At least two other Greek residents were also seriously injured from falling accidents in the summer of 2008.

In July of that year, Eric Godfrey, vice provost for Student Life, publicly supported a plan to create a group of experts to inspect Greek houses if residents complied.

Godfrey’s plan was given to Assistant Vice Provost for Student Life Lincoln Johnson. That plan has yet to be implemented.

On Sunday, Johnson’s office hadn’t returned messages about the administration’s response to Thursday’s accident.

Because the UW does not own any of the houses or property in the Greek community, it can’t enforce rules in the houses without the permission of residents.

But through the years, the administration has taken some precautions to make the community safer.

For example, Greeks must register plans for parties with the Office of Greek Relations, which then relays the information to the UW Police Department (UWPD).

Police can check on Greek houses with registered parties to make sure nothing illegal is going on.

Lt. Craig Wilson, who oversees patrol operations for the UWPD, said that an early party was scheduled to take place at the fraternity Thursday, but it never happened.

“The party that was scheduled for earlier in the day at that location was canceled,” Wilson said, “so there was no party going on at that residence [that] night.”

Several residents of Sigma Chi declined to talk about the night of the falling incident, and a note was taped to the front door of the house Saturday with the message: “Chapter house closed to all non-members. Thank you for your courtesy.”

“Out of respect for the family, we don’t want to discuss the issue at this time,” said Devin Whittle, president of Sigma Chi.

Reach reporter Kaitlin Strohschein at news@dailyuw.com.