Eric Dane’s daughter helped rescue him from drowning during a holiday in Antigua in 2024, after the actor realised he could no longer swim amid his battle with ALS.
Dane recounts the frightening incident in his posthumous autobiography, My Book of Days: A Memoir of Moments, describing it as a moment when the disease began taking away abilities he had previously taken for granted.
His daughter, Georgia, and one of her friends stepped in to help him after he got into difficulty in the water. The experience forced Dane to confront how ALS was affecting his body and his independence.
After the incident, he called his estranged wife, Rebecca Gayheart. The pair sobbed together as they processed what had happened.
Dane publicly revealed his ALS diagnosis in April 2025. The progressive neurodegenerative disease affects the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles.
He died aged 53 following his struggle with the condition. His family said he would be “deeply missed and lovingly remembered always”, adding that he had adored his fans and remained grateful for the support he received.
The actor was best known for playing Dr Mark Sloan in Grey’s Anatomy and Cal Jacobs in Euphoria. He later used his public platform to raise awareness of ALS.
The memoir reflects on the family moments that mattered most to Dane as the disease progressively took away his everyday abilities.
