10 Movie Stunts That Went Horribly Wrong
3. David Holmes Became Tetraplegic - Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows (Part 1)
David Holmes was one of the most able-bodied, athletic stunt doubles, and had acted as Daniel Radcliffe's stunt double for all the Harry Potter films. It wasn't until production of The Deathly Hallows (Part 1) where he could no longer continue this position, as his whole life changed forever.
At age twenty-five, Holmes was rehearsing a flying scene involving an explosion where he was thrown into a wall before falling to the ground at the Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden, near Watford, Hertfordshire. He was conscious after the fall but told crew members: 'I can't feel my legs'.
David was rushed to the hospital where it was confirmed he had broken his leg and would be paralysed for the rest of his life.
Although Holmes did land on the crash mat as planned, the explosion seemed to propel him harder than anticipated against the wall, which is what ultimately caused the harm.