John Bernecker, a stuntman on The Walking Dead, died after sustaining “serious injuries” on the set of the AMC drama, the Coweta County Coroner’s Office in Georgia confirmed to EW. He was 33.
The incident occurred on location in Atlanta during production on season 8. According to various reports, Bernecker fell more than 20 feet and hit the concrete below. AMC released a statement yesterday explaining Bernecker was rushed to a hospital as production was temporarily halted.
The coroner told EW he was pronounced dead at Atlanta Medical Center on Wednesday, July 12 after succumbing to injuries from blunt force trauma.
Bernecker performed stunt work on numerous films over the past few years, including more recently on Marvel’s Black Panther, Rampage, The Fate of the Furious, Logan, and Get Out.
ransformers: The Last Knight director Michael Bay released a statement in support of “the cast and crew of The Walking Dead and the entire Stunt Community that we love.” It read, “Such a sad day with the passing of John Bernecker, in a tragic accident on their set.”
A spokesperson for SAG-AFTRA released a statement at the time of the incident. “We have been informed of a serious injury to a SAG-AFTRA member on the set of The Walking Dead and are investigating the situation,” it read. “As always, the safety and security of our members and others on set is of crucial concern to us and we are focused on this in our investigation. Our thoughts and prayers are with the performer and his family.”