Image caption The Western remake stars Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer 
 
 Authorities are investigating the apparent drowning of a crew member on the set of forthcoming Johnny Depp film The Lone Ranger, near Los Angeles. 
 
 The unnamed 48-year-old diver is thought to have suffered a heart attack while cleaning out a pool that was going to be used in the film. 
 
 He was pronounced dead on Friday according to the coroner's spokesman. 
 
 Walt Disney studios said: "Our hearts and thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues at this time." 
 
 Spokesman Paul Roeder added in a statement: "Our full support is behind the investigation into the circumstances of this terrible event." 
 
 Police revealed the man had been wearing scuba equipment to carry out maintenance on a deep pool on a ranch near Palmdale, in the desert north of Los Angeles, where the Western is being filmed. 
 
 It is thought he was preparing a tank for an underwater scene to be shot at a later date. 
 
 The Lone Ranger, due to be released in July 2013, is a remake of the classic adventure with Depp as Native American spirit warrior Tonto and Armie Hammer in the title role. ||||| Lone Ranger Death Crew Member Had History With Jerry Bruckheimer 
 
 EXCLUSIVE 
 
 " crew member who died on set last week worked alongside mega producerandfor years, TMZ has learned.Close friends tell TMZ the victim's name is-- a welder and water safety guy who had 20 plus years in the biz ... and one of his biggest breaks was working with Bruckheimer on the set of the first "" movie.We're told Bruckheimer respected his work so much ... he hired him for every single "Pirates" sequel and then for "Lone Ranger." Our sources say he also became close with Depp while working on those films.Close friends of Mike tell TMZ ... the family does not blame the production company for his death, and believes he died of a heart attack.TMZ broke the story, Mike was working in a large tank on "The Lone Ranger" set when he passed away ​. Law enforcement also believe his death was due to a heart attack. He was 48.His funeral is currently being planned by family and friends.
– 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.