AMC confirmed to Deadline today that production on Season 8 of The Walking Dead has restarted five days after a stuntman suffered fatal injuries in an on-set fall. John Bernecker died Wednesday in an Atlanta hospital.
The veteran stuntman was doing on a fight scene with actor Austin Amelio on a balcony when he fell about 30 feet to a concrete floor, just missing the safety pad and landing on his head and neck. It is believed to be the first stunt-related death in America in 17 years.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and SAG-AFTRA have launched investigations into Bernecker’s death, and an OSHA spokesman told Deadline that the investigation could take up to six months to complete. There’s no word of a time frame for the actor union’s probe. The Coweta County Coroner’s Office and Sheriff’s Department have ruled the death an accident and closed their respective cases into the matter.
TWD cast and crew and many other people and groups offered condolences about Bernecker in the days after the accident. Click the link below to read a sampling of them.
Must Read Stories
Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.