Eric Dane recounts near-drowning rescued by daughter in posthumous memoir
Actor Eric Dane described how his daughter Georgia saved him from drowning during a 2025 vacation, as detailed in an excerpt from his forthcoming memoir.
Actor Eric Dane said his youngest daughter, Georgia, pulled him from the water after he realized he could not swim during a vacation in Antigua following his ALS diagnosis in 2025. In an excerpt from his upcoming memoir My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments, Dane wrote that after being rescued he called his estranged wife, Rebecca Gayheart, and told her, "I can’t swim, Rebecca." He described both of them crying together before Gayheart said she had feared the day.
Dane recounted the incident on "Good Morning America" in June 2025, telling host Diane Sawyer that he felt he could not generate enough power to return to the boat and thought, "Oh God," realizing he was no longer safe in the water. He added that Georgia dragged him back to the boat while he broke down in tears, but he encouraged her to continue snorkeling with her friend.
The actor died on February 19, 2026, at age 53, from respiratory failure linked to ALS. He had been married to Rebecca Gayheart since 2004, and the couple had two daughters, Billie (16) and Georgia (14). Gayheart posted a tribute on Instagram Stories for Father's Day in June, expressing her grief and belief that Dane was watching over their children.