A coroner says a stuntman for “The Walking Dead” has died from injuries suffered in a fall on the Georgia set of the hit television show.
Coweta County Coroner Richard Hawk confirmed Friday that 33-year-old John Bernecker died about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at an Atlanta hospital. Bernecker fell earlier Wednesday on the show’s set in Senoia, about 35 miles south of Atlanta.
Hawk said Bernecker died from blunt force trauma and that his death is considered accidental.
Bernecker, who has also done stunt work in “Black Panther,” “Logan,” “Get Out” and “The Fate of the Furious,” was placed on life support at Atlanta Medical Center. The stunt performer’s brain swelling reportedly reduced briefly, but then increased, leading to his death, TMZ reported.
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.
Bernecker’s passing is believed to be the first stunt-related death in the United States in 17 years.
SAG-AFTRA stated that they were investigating the incident, as is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
“The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requires the agency to complete an investigation within six months,” Mike D’Aquino, a spokesman for the regional OSHA office in Atlanta, told Deadline Friday. “That doesn’t mean it will necessarily take six months. It could be sooner than that.”
With Post wires