Eric Dane's Daughter Saved Him From Drowning, Memoir Reveals
The late actor recounted the terrifying incident in his posthumous memoir, detailing his struggles following an ALS diagnosis.
Eric Dane, the late actor known for his roles in "Grey's Anatomy" and "Euphoria," described a harrowing near-drowning experience in his posthumous memoir, "My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments." The incident occurred during a vacation in Antigua after his diagnosis with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in 2025.
According to the memoir, Dane found himself unable to swim and struggling in the water. His youngest daughter, Georgia, along with her friend, intervened and saved him from drowning. Following the rescue, Dane's first call was to his estranged wife, Rebecca Gayheart.
Dane recounted the moment in the memoir, writing, "Georgia hands me my phone... ‘I can’t swim, Rebecca,’ I say. ‘I can’t swim.’" He described a shared moment of emotional release with his daughter, stating, "She explodes into tears and I weep with her. We cry together."
In June 2025, Dane had also spoken about the incident on "Good Morning America." He told Diane Sawyer, "When I jumped into the ocean that day and realized I couldn’t swim and generate enough power to get myself back to the boat. I thought, ‘Oh God.’ And I realized in that moment I’m not safe in the water anymore."
He further detailed how Georgia pulled him back to the boat, noting his emotional state but ensuring his daughter could return to enjoying her time with her friend.
Dane passed away on February 19, 2026, at the age of 53, less than a year after announcing his ALS diagnosis. His cause of death was respiratory failure, according to his death certificate.
Dane and Rebecca Gayheart, married in 2004, had two daughters, Billie, born in 2010, and Georgia, born in 2011. Gayheart filed for divorce in February 2018, but the papers were never finalized. The couple remained close, often vacationing with their children.
Following Dane's death, Gayheart marked their first Father's Day apart with an emotional social media post, expressing her sorrow for their daughters and acknowledging Dane's enduring presence in their lives.