Diver Dies Working on Johnny Depp Lone Ranger

Crew member was preparing tank for Disney Western
By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 23, 2012 11:23 PM CDT
Updated Sep 24, 2012 12:01 AM CDT
Diver Dies Working on Johnny Depp Lone Ranger
Johnny Depp plays Tonto to Armie Hammer's masked lawman in the new film "The Lone Ranger."   (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Authorities are investigating the death of a diver on the set of the new Lone Ranger movie starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer. The 48-year-old crew member, wearing scuba gear at the time, may have died of a heart attack while preparing a deep-water tank on location at a ranch north of Los Angeles. He was identified by TMZ as 20-year film crew veteran and water safety expert Mike Bridger, a favorite of mega producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who relied on him for the Pirates of the Caribbean movies before hiring him for the Lone Ranger filming.

"Our hearts and thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues at this time," reads a statement from Walt Disney studios. A spokesman says producers "fully support" the investigation into the "terrible event," reports the BBC. (More Lone Ranger stories.)

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