WPXIEmmy award winning crew member James Emswiller has died after falling from a balcony on the set of Tom Hanks’ upcoming Mr. Rogers movie
Mr. Emswiller, who had been a member of the sound crew, had been taking a cigarette break on a second-storey balcony when it is believed he suffered a heart attack in Lebanon, PA.
RIP James Emswiller.
Sound Mixer on CONCUSSION, FOXCATCHER, THE FAULT IN OUR STARS.
Mount Lebanon Police have announced his passing after a balcony fall (possible due to medical issue) on set of new MR. ROGERS movie.— Rhett Bartlett (@dialmformovies) October 12, 2018
TMZ have reported how other crew members had heard the sound of somebody falling from the balcony.
An on set nurse attempted to save Mr. Enswiller, but he was in full cardiac arrest by the time medics arrived to take him to UPMC Mercy Hospital. He was pronounced dead three hours later.
It has been reported Tom Hanks had been on set at the time of the tragedy, which occurred Thursday, October 11. The crew had been filming for You Are My Friend, a biopic of the life of iconic Pittsburgh resident Fred Rogers.
61-year-old Mr. Emswiller won an Emmy in 2015 for outstanding sound mixing for a limited series or a movie for the HBO series Bessie.
#BREAKING: Mt. Lebanon Police say they think James Emswiller stepped outside for a smoke break when he may have suffered a heart attack and fell from the balcony.
The fall happened around 7:28 in Mt. Lebanon. His time of death was 10:36 at the hospital.@KDKA pic.twitter.com/rzvOKy7pSq
— Meghan Schiller (@MeghanKDKA) October 12, 2018
As reported by CBS Pittsburgh, witness at the scene, Vince Passerini, said:
All of a sudden all of these lights were just everywhere, and they started inching closer toward us shining into the bar, and I was like what is happening out there, and there was just people everywhere, people on the curb sitting,
We asked, what’s happening inside and they said they’re making a Mr. Rogers movie or something.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of James Emswiller at this difficult time.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.