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.’
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 Games of Thrones, alongside Mark Strong in Kingsman Golden Circle, and Spider Man Far From Home.
He has also performed stunts in 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’
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.
Mr Watts (pictured with Ms Powell, who is also a stunt double), has worked on a series of Hollywood blockbusters
Fast & Furious 9 is set to feature stars such as Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez (both pictured) and Helen Mirren
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.
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
In a statement, Hertfordshire Police added: ‘Police were called shortly before noon today 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 police officers are currently on scene to assist and carry out initial enquiries.’
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.’