“The Walking Dead” stuntman John Bernecker was pronounced dead on Thursday night, TMZ reports.
Bernecker, 33, lost his footing while rehearsing a fight scene and plummeted off of a 25-foot high balcony onto a concrete floor on the Georgia set of the AMC show on Wednesday.
Bernecker, who has also done stunt work in “Black Panther,” “Logan,” “Get Out” and “The Fate of the Furious,” was taken to Atlanta Medical Center and placed on a life support. The stunt performer’s brain swelling reportedly reduced briefly, but then increased, leading to his death Thursday evening.
TMZ reported that Bernecker was surrounded by his family, including his longtime girlfriend Jennifer Cocker, who is also a stuntwoman on the show.
The series halted production after Bernecker’s fall.
“We are saddened to report that John Bernecker, a talented stuntman for ‘The Walking Dead’ and numerous other television shows and films, suffered serious injuries from a tragic accident on set,” AMC said in a statement Thursday. “He was immediately transported to an Atlanta hospital, and we have temporarily shut down production. We are keeping John and his family in our thoughts and prayers.”
SAG-AFTRA stated that they were investigating the incident.
Source: Page Six