Eric Dane's Memoir Reveals Daughter Georgia Saved Him From Near-Drowning Incident
The late actor recounted the terrifying experience in his posthumous book, 'My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments,' detailing how his youngest daughter rescued him after he lost the ability to swim due to his ALS.
In an excerpt from his posthumous memoir, 'My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments,' actor Eric Dane revealed a harrowing incident where he nearly drowned, an event that underscored the devastating impact of his battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The memoir details how his youngest daughter, Georgia, then 14, and her friend rescued him from the water during a vacation in Antigua. This incident occurred after his ALS diagnosis in 2024, which had begun to affect his physical capabilities.
Dane, who died in February at 53, wrote about the moment he realized he was in distress in the water. He recounted contacting his estranged wife, Rebecca Gayheart, to tell her, "I can't swim, Rebecca. I can't swim." Gayheart, the mother of Dane's two daughters, Billie Beatrice Dane, 16, and Georgia, 14, reportedly had an emotional reaction upon hearing the news, with Dane writing that they both wept together.
"She explodes into tears and I weep with her," Dane wrote. "We cry together. Finally, the tears slow, become reduced to gasps, and when we're both cried out, Rebecca says, 'I was afraid of this day. I knew it would come. I've been dreading it.'"
Dane had previously discussed the near-drowning experience in a June 2025 appearance on 'Good Morning America.' He explained that after jumping into the ocean, he realized he lacked the strength to swim back to the boat, leading to the frightening conclusion, "I'm not safe in the water anymore."
He credited Georgia with pulling him back to safety, a testament to her strength amidst his deteriorating health. Dane and Gayheart married in 2004, and though Gayheart filed for divorce in 2018, the couple remained close, particularly during Dane's illness. They never finalized the divorce.
'My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments' is scheduled for release on November 3, less than nine months after Dane's passing. A spokesperson for the actor noted after his death that Dane had become a passionate advocate for ALS awareness and research, aiming to make a difference for others facing the disease. The statement also emphasized his devotion to his daughters, describing them as "the center of his world."