The Walking Dead Updates

THE WALKING DEAD STUNTMAN DIES AFTER TRAGIC ACCIDENT ON SET

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NEW (14/07/17):

New details regarding Bernecker's death have been released. According to TMZ, the stuntman was supposed to fall onto a cushion, 22 feet below the balcony of The Sanctuary. Bernecker barely missed the target.

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Assistant director Matthew Goodwin told the police that Bernecker missed the cushion "just by inches." Goodwin went on to say that the stuntman didn't get very good separation from the balcony when he started the fall, and that he "attempted to abort the fall by grabbing onto the railing with both hands."

He then told the police that Bernecker's momentum slammed him into the bottom of the balcony, causing him to release his hands, and he fell onto his head and neck.

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The stunt was taking place at the Sanctuary - where the villainous Negan calls home. The balcony that he fell from was seen at the end of Season 7, when Negan told his group of followers that he was going to war with Rick.

There's no telling what the fall could have been, but it the scene was involving the character of Dwight, played by Austin Amelio. 

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Amelio told the police that he and Bernecker were talking before the stunt took place, and John said that he had never done a fall from that height (22 feet) before. The actor added that Bernecker "seemed a little nervous."

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John's girlfriend, Jennfier Cocker, is a stuntwoman as well, but she wasn't on set when the incident occurred. Understandably, she is incredibly upset with the production.

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"Sets need to be safer. There has to be a prerequisite not to put a super professional stuntman with an inexperienced actor who doesn't know what he's doing."

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According to the police, John gave a thumbs-up signal before filming began.

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Original Article

Following an unexpected incident on the set of The Walking Dead, we have learned that stuntman John Bernecker passed away as a result of injuries sustained in the accident.

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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.

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Coweta County Coroner Richard Hawk, confirmed that Bernecker died of blunt force trauma at Atlanta Medical Center July 12 at 6:30 PM ET.

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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.

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The injuries Bernecker suffered were said to be head injuries resulting from the fall.

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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.

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 “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.”

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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.

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THE WALKING DEAD UPDATES

July 13, 2017