A crewmember on Disney’s “The Lone Ranger” died on the set Friday morning, the studio told TheWrap.
The diver reportedly began to drown in a water tank while preparing for an underwater shot for the movie, which stars Armie Hammer as the titular leading man and Johnny Depp as his sidekick Tonto.
He then entered cardiac arrest, but as of now the cause of death is unclear. So is the identity of the deceased.
Disney has issued the following statement:
"We regretfully confirm that a Lone Ranger crew member has passed away after being taken to a local hospital. Our hearts and thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues at this time, and our full support is behind the investigation into the circumstances of this terrible event.”
According to TMZ, by the time responders reached the scene, the man was in full cardiac arrest. A helicopter ferried him to a nearby hospital, but EMTs were unable to restart his heart and he was pronounced dead there.
This is the latest and gravest event for what has been a difficult production. Disney halted the movie last summer over concerns about its budget. This Februrary, the Gore Verbinski-directed film got the greenlight to continue after Verbinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer agreed to budget cuts.
