The parents of an Atlanta Braves fan who fell to his death in the stadium Wednesday night at Turner Field said their son was "having fun" when he died.

The man, Justin Hayes, 25, of Cumming suffered head injuries when he fell an estimated four levels inside the stadium to field level, striking a concrete and metal railing, according to Atlanta police spokesman Ron Campbell. He was taken to the hospital but later died of his injuries.

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Justin Hayes, 25, of Cumming suffered head injuries when he fell an estimated four levels at Turner Field Wednesday night. He was taken to a hospital but later died of his injuries.

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"According to his friends, he had a couple of beers like most people at a game," parents John and Cindy Hayes said in a statement released Thursday night.

"They were leaving and having fun, and he did what he does at home — tried to slide down the railing. Unfortunately, he just slipped over."

Hayes was descending the spiraling walkway behind the home plate stands at the time of the accident, Braves officials said. When he slipped off the railing, he fell into the 6- or 7-foot-wide gap between the walkways.

Hayes was a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Tucker, Russell said, and was a chef at Firewater Chophouse in Cumming.

He attended the game with co-workers from the restaurant.

Campbell said on Wednesday night that police believed Hayes had been drinking before the accident, but family and coworkers disputed that it had figured into his death.

Hayes' co-worker and longtime friend Sean McLendon said he wasn't the type to drink excessively. "He never had a problem with alcohol," McLendon said. "He lost his balance."

Hayes typically attended church on Wednesday nights, McClendon said, but decided to go to the Braves game with co-workers this particular Wednesday.

A family member described Hayes as a church-goer who enjoyed playing golf, spending time with his friends and being the life of the party.

"This was a tragic, horrible accident," Hayes' parents said. "Justin was a very strong Christian person. He really cared about people and went out of his way to help anyone who needed it."

The police report on the accident was not available Thursday afternoon.

Hayes' family learned of the accident when an emergency medical technician called the house and requested that the family come to Grady Memorial Hospital.

Staff writers Tim Eberly, Mike Morris and Ken Sugiura contributed to this article.