Home NEWS Pictured: Vin Diesel’s Fast And Furious body-double fighting for life

Pictured: Vin Diesel’s Fast And Furious body-double fighting for life

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Pictured: Vin Diesel’s Fast And Furious body-double fighting for life

Joe Watts was standing in for Vin Diesel when he was injured in the horror fall in Hertfordshire 

Vin Diesel’s stunt double has been placed in an induced coma after plunging 30ft onto his head on the set of Fast and Furious 9. 

Sources have told MailOnline stunt performer Joe Watts was injured on the film set at the Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire yesterday afternoon. 

Vin Diesel was said to be ‘choking back tears’ after witnessing Mr Watts fall on his head as he performed a stunt in the movie star’s place.  

Mr Watts’ fiancée Tilly Powell, who is also a stunt performer, told friends her ‘heart is shattered’ and that he was in an induced coma after suffering a serious head injury. 

Writing on social media, she assured friends he was ‘stable and being monitored closely throughout the night’. 

Ms Powell added: ‘I love him so much. He has all his friends and family by his side to get him through this.’ 

Ms Powell was working on ‘The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard’ on another location in London when she learned about her partner’s accident – and friends say she ‘knew the risks he faced’ in the job. 

Filming on the ninth installment of the franchise was halted after a safety cable reportedly snapped as Mr Watts jumped off a balcony on set and hit the ground. 

Mr Watts is a British stuntman who has worked on a series of Hollywood blockbusters, including Kingsman Golden Circle, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Spider Man Far From Home. 

He has also performed stunts in Game of Thrones, Johnny English Strikes Again, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Jurassic World and The Hitman’s Bodyguard.  

Joe Watts, pictured with his fiancée Tilly Powell, was injured after falling onto his head while filming Fast and Furious 9

Mr Watts was placed into an induced coma and monitored throughout the evening in hospital 

Joe Watts acted as Mark Strong’s bodyguard in Kingsman: The Golden Circle 

Vin Diesel (pictured on set last month with another of his body doubles) is said to have been left fighting back tears following the accident in Hertfordshire yesterday 

Police and paramedics were rushed out to Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire after a crew member was ‘seriously injured’

Ms Powell is at the bedside of her fiancé, along with her father Greg Powell.

She and her father were working together on another film on location in London when told about the accident and was escorted by police to the Royal London Hospital, where Mr Watts was airlifted to.

Stuntman’s school is ‘saddened’ by accident 

Joe Watts is a teacher at The Creative Academy as well as a professional stunt performer.

A statement from the not-for-profit academy, managed by Slough Borough Council, said: ‘Staff and students from The Creative Academy at Slough Borough Council were saddened to hear of Joe’s accident.

‘We hope he makes a speedy recovery and send our best wishes to Joe and his family.’ 

A family member told Mail Online: ‘Tilly is absolutely devastated but she has known the risks that were always involved.

‘She grew up with a father who was a stuntman and has followed the same career. 

‘She knew that they always faced risks on any dangerous stunt.

‘Tilly is at the hospital with Joe and like everyone else just praying that Joe will pull through.’

The couple, who have been dating for four years, are understood to be set to get married next year.

‘Joe is one of the nicest men you could meet. Everyone in the family loves him and he is devoted to Tilly,’ said the family member.

Ms Powell was working with her father on the latest Ryan Reynolds film ‘The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard’ where he is a second unit director and stunt co-ordinator.

The blockbuster also stars Samuel L Jackson, Morgan Freeman and Salma Hayek and is the sequel to the 2017 hit ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard.’

Her father has previously worked on the James Bond blockbuster ‘Skyfall’ and the 2006 Fast and Furious movie.

Mr Watts (pictured with Ms Powell, who is also a stunt double), has worked on a series of Hollywood blockbusters

Mr Watts  has worked on a series of Hollywood blockbusters including Mission: Impossible

Mr Watts’ fiancée Tilly Powell, who is also a stunt performer, told friends on Instagram her ‘heart is shattered’ and that he was in an induced coma after suffering a serious head injury. 

Fast & Furious 9 is set to feature stars such as Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez (both pictured) and Helen Mirren

Diesel, 52, was ashen faced and tearful following yesterday’s horrific fall, sources told The Sun Online

‘The stuntman fell at least 30ft — maybe a bit more,’ a source said.

‘Vin Diesel was seen on set seconds after. He looked ashen, totally in shock and blinking back tears. He saw what happened.’  

Warner Bros Studios confirmed that a man had been airlifted to Royal London Hospital after MailOnline revealed an accident had taken place. 

Producers told Deadline that the fall occurred just before noon on set in Leavesden during filming of Fast & Furious 9, which is set to feature stars such as Michelle Rodriguez and Helen Mirren. 

Warner Bros has been contacted for comment today.  

In 2002, Harry O’Connor, who served as a stunt double for Vin Diesel in the blockbuster xXx, died on set in Prague while performing a paragliding stunt in the actor’s place. 

A former Navy SEAL and an experienced skydiver, O’Connor reportedly collided with a pillar of the Palacky Bridge while paragliding and broke his neck, according to looper.

It was his second effort to complete the stunt, the first of which was successful and used in the movie.  

The couple, who have been dating for four years, are understood to be set to get married next year

An air ambulance attended and police officers are still on the scene carrying out an investigation at the film studio

Today’s incident comes a month after a crew worker was slashed in the throat with a Stanley knife on the set of The Witches, which is being filmed at the same studio (shown yesterday)

The incident occurred during filming of Fast & Furious 9, which is set to feature stars such as Vin Diesel (pictured filming at the studios this month)

Hertfordshire Police said in a statement: ‘It was reported that a man had been injured while working at the location and sustained serious injuries.’ Pictured: Vin Diesel, right, on set

Warner Bros Studio is beset by fire, stabbing and horror injury

The Warner Bros Studios is one of Britain’s leading filming facilities, with all eight Harry Potter films, James Bond, Fast and Furious and the Mission Impossible franchises made there. 

But in a little over a month, the stricken set has been besieged by a number of accidents. 

On June 19, a stage hand on Anne Hathaway’s new movie The Witches was stabbed in the neck during a fight over a teabag.

Police were called after the brawl between two crew working on the new Roald Dahl blockbuster.

Two ambulances were also called as the injured man was taken to a nearby hospital as police arrested his alleged attacker.

The scrap between a rigger and the stage hand, who had worked together previously, took place as around 100 crew in total were on set in the iconic studios.

Meanwhile, it was reported last week how a worker found a shard of glass in a half-eaten muffin left by a customer at the Harry Potter Studio Tour, which is also based at Leavesden. 

And on July 11, a fire at the Warner Bros Studios destroyed a spaceship on the set of Hugh Laurie’s new HBO sitcom. 

The site – which covers almost 200 acres – was previously an aircraft factory called Leavesden Aerodrome that was central to production during World War II.

It was converted for film use in 1994 for Pierce Brosnan’s first Bond film GoldenEye and has been a popular site for producers ever since.

Other films shot at the studios include Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Inception, Paddington, The Dark Knight and Bohemian Rhapsody.  

The site is also near the Warner Bros. Studio Tour attraction which takes guests behind the scenes of the making of the Harry Potter series. 

A spokesman for Hertfordshire Constabulary said today: ‘Police were called shortly before noon on Monday 22 July following an incident at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire.

‘It was reported that a man had been injured while working at the location and sustained serious injuries.

‘The air ambulance attended and the man was taken to hospital.

‘Police officers also attended to assist at the scene and carry out initial inquiries.

‘The incident has been referred to the Health and Safety Executive and there will be no further police involvement.’ 

Today’s incident comes a month after a crew worker was slashed in the throat with a Stanley knife on the set of The Witches, which is being filmed at the same studio.

The scrap between a rigger and the stage hand, who had worked together previously, took place as around 100 crew in total were on set.

Meanwhile, it was reported last week how a worker found a shard of glass in a half-eaten muffin left by a customer at the Harry Potter Studio Tour, which is also based at Leavesden.

Staff then launched an internal investigation which found silver metal pins had been placed in a further 13 muffins. 

And on July 11, a fire at the Warner Bros Studios destroyed a spaceship on the set of Hugh Laurie’s new HBO sitcom. 

Around 75 firefighters were scrambled to the film set, getting the blaze under control some 16 hours later.

The flames are believed to have started inside one of the stage rooms and ruined a model spacecraft being used for a new TV series called Avenue 5 starring Hugh Laurie.  

Nearly six years ago, Fast & Furious star Paul Walker died in a high-speed car crash along with friend Roger Rodas in 2013. 

A spokesman for East of England Ambulance Service told MailOnline: ‘An ambulance, three ambulance officer vehicles and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance were called to Leavesden Studios shortly before midday today, following reports of a man injured in a fall.

‘One patient with a serious head injury was transported to the Royal London Hospital by air ambulance.’ 

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