'The Walking Dead' Stuntman Dies After Tragic Accident on Season 8 Set
Following an unexpected incident on the set of The Walking Dead, ComicBook.com has learned that stuntman John Bernecker passed away as a result of injuries sustained in the accident.
Bernecker, a veteran stuntman in the industry, was taken to Atlanta Medical Center on Wednesday after he fell more than 20 feet onto a concrete floor. The incident happened on The Walking Dead's set in Georgia; Bernecker was rushed to the hospital where he was being treated in the intensive care unit.
Coweta County Coroner Richard Hawk, confirmed that Bernecker died of blunt force trauma at Atlanta Medical Center July 12 at 6:30 PM ET.
Bernecker was an accomplished stuntman, working on several films in the Atlanta area. Most recently, his work extended to Dwayne Johnson's Rampage, Marvel's Black Panther, and Escape Plan 2: Hades. There are over 90 stunt credits on Bernecker's resume, spanning across an eight-year career, according to his IMDb profile.
The injuries Bernecker suffered were said to be head injuries resulting from the fall.
Production Halt
AMC has temporarily halted production of The Walking Dead Season 8 in the aftermath of the tragedy, previously releasing a statement on the subject through Deadline.
"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's statement said. "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."
There is no word yet on when filming will resume, though the AMC series is headed to San Diego Comic Con next weekend, where it will likely be making some major announcements, in addition to releasing the first official trailer for Season 8.
prevnextMessages of Support
Prior to Bernecker's passing, several cast and crew members on The Walking Dead showed support on social media.
Maggie Greene actress Lauren Cohan was one of the first to take to social media. "Dear Walking Dead Family, please keep John Bernecker, our stuntman and his family in your prayers today," Cohan wrote.
Dear Walking Dead Family, please keep John Bernecker, our stuntman and his family in your prayers today.
— Lauren Cohan (@LaurenCohan) July 13, 2017
Executive producer Gale Anne Hurd retweeted Cohan's message with an additional message of her own. "We are all praying for him, his family, friends, and colleagues," Hurd wrote.
We are all praying for him, his family, friends and colleagues. https://t.co/03Kj5JLwun
— Gale Anne Hurd (@GunnerGale) July 13, 2017
The actor responsible for playing Hilltop character Eduardo, Peter Zimmerman, chimed in on Twitter, showing support for Bernecker. "Keeping John Bernecker and his family in my thoughts," Zimmerman wrote.
Keeping John Bernecker and his family in my thoughts. #TWDFamily
— Peter Zimmerman (@IamPeterZ) July 14, 2017
In a similar role to Zimmerman's, though his character calls the Kingdom home, Daniel actor Daniel Newman sent a similar tweet. "Huge prayers for our #WalkingDead stuntman John Bernecker & family now!" Newman wrote.
HUGE Prayers for our #WalkingDead stuntman John Bernecker & Family now!
— Daniel Newmaη (@DanielNewman) July 14, 2017
Reg Monroe actor Steve Coulter, who exited The Walking Dead in its fifth season, sent a message. "#TWDFamily John Bernecker, a TWD stuntman, was badly injured in a fall on set yesterday," Coulter said. "Please RT & put him in your thoughts and prayers."
prevnext#TWDFamily John Bernecker, a TWD stuntman, was badly injured in a fall on set yesterday. Please RT & put him in your thoughts and prayers.
— Steve Coulter (@coulter28) July 13, 2017
More Walking Dead
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Fear the Walking Dead returns September 10. The Walking Dead will return for its eighth season in October with a trailer coming in July at San Diego Comic Con. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter
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