Eric Dane's daughter Georgia saved him from drowning amid devastating ALS battle that led to his passing at 53
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By ADAM S. LEVY, US SENIOR SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER
Published: | Updated:
An excerpt from Eric Dane's posthumous memoir, My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments, reveals a horrifying moment in which he nearly drowned before he was saved by his daughter Georgia.
The actor, who died at 53 in February of this year after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), was father to two daughters with estranged wife Rebecca Gayheart, 55: Billie Beatrice Dane, 16, and Georgia, 14.
Dane wrote in his memoir that his youngest child and her friend rescued him from drowning while on a vacation in Antigua following his ALS diagnosis in 2024, People reported Sunday, publishing a series of passages from the book.
Dane, who portrayed Dr Mark Sloan on Grey's Anatomy, wrote that he contacted Gayheart via phone call following the scary incident.
He wrote: 'Georgia hands me my phone. "I can't swim, Rebecca," I say. "I can't swim."'
The Daily Mail has reached out to Gayheart's representatives for comment but has not yet heard back.
An excerpt from Eric Dane's posthumous memoir, My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments, reveals a horrifying moment in which he nearly drowned before he was saved by his daughter Georgia. The late actor pictured in June of 2025 in LA
Gayheart had an emotional reaction after Dane revealed how his ALS battle had impacted his physical abilities.
The Euphoria actor wrote in the memoir: 'She explodes into tears and I weep with her. 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 detailed the incident in a June 2025 appearance on Good Morning America, explaining the conclusions he had drawn amid the alarming drowning incident.
'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,' Dane said, 'I thought, "Oh God."
'And I realized in that moment I'm not safe in the water anymore.'
Dane said Georgia 'dragged [him] back to the boat,' as he processed the emotional incident.
Dane wed Gayheart in 2004 in Las Vegas, and Gayheart in February 2018 filed for divorce from the actor. They never finalized the split, and stayed close amid his illness.
Dane pictured with daughters Billie (L) and Georgia at a 2024 event in LA
Georgia, Gayheart and Billie pictured at March 2026 event in LA
The upcoming memoir comes less than nine months after Dane died at 53 from respiratory failure amid his ALS battle.
In a statement released in the wake of his passing, a spokesperson for the actor said: 'He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world.
'Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight.'
The statement continued: 'He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received.'
My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments will be released on November 3.
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.