UPDATED: ‘The Walking Dead’ Stuntman In Critical Condition After On-Set Accident

UPDATE, 11:46 PM: Stuntman John Bernecker is reportedly on life support following the injuries from his fall on the set of “The Walking Dead.” A source by Deadline confirms that Bernecker is indeed in Atlanta Medical Center and is brain dead as of this moment. His family is now making arrangements. Bernecker is still alive, as per a Facebook post by Jackie Latino. Atlanta’s CBS46 also confirms that his condition is very serious.

PREVIOUSLY: Production for AMC’s “The Walking Dead” Season 8 temporarily halted after one of their stuntmen, John Bernecker, suffered a serious injury on set. Known for being a zombie apocalypse show that centers on death, death, and even more death, the set was considered to be an entirely safe place despite the relatively dangerous environment that takes place within the show.

Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira in The Walking Dead (2010). Photo by Gene Page/AMC

That being said, “The Walking Dead’s” fictional world may be a hazardous place for all its inhabitants, but one might think that the same level of danger wouldn’t exist on set. However, that’s not the case for an unfortunate stuntman who got into a really bad accident while shooting for the show’s eighth season.

Stuntman Suffers Head Injury on ‘The Walking Dead’ Set

Veteran stuntman John Bernecker suffered a serious head injury while production for “The Walking Dead” Season 8 was ongoing. Deadline’s sources say that Bernecker was rehearsing a fight scene with an actor, with the scene supposed to end with Bernecker falling from a balcony. However, the stuntman lost his footing and fell 30 feet to a concrete floor, causing him the injury.

In a Facebook post by Bernecker’s girlfriend, Jennifer Cocker (who also happens to be a stuntwoman), she suggests that the injury might be more than just a normal injury, but also life-threatening.

A statement by AMC read, “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. 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.”

John Bernecker. Photo via IMDb

Bernecker’s union, SAG-AFTRA says that they are currently investigating the cause of his fall, as it’s not clear how and why the unfortunate accident happened. As for the production for “The Walking Dead” Season 8, it is assumed that it won’t be delayed for a significant amount of time, given the schedule that the network has following the season premiere this fall.

A stuntman for about a decade already, Bernecker has stunt work credits to films like “24: Legacy,” “Get Out,” 2015’s “Fantastic Four,” “Logan,” and most recently, “Black Panther.”