Eric Dane described a frightening moment in the ocean off Antigua as a turning point in his understanding of how ALS was affecting his body, according to an excerpt from his posthumous memoir, “My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments,” published by People. The actor wrote that during a 2024 family vacation, he went into the water and found he no longer had the strength to swim back to the boat.
Dane’s youngest daughter, Georgia, and one of her friends helped get him back to safety, Page Six reported. The “Grey’s Anatomy” star died Feb. 19 at age 53, about 10 months after announcing his diagnosis. His death certificate listed respiratory failure as the cause of death, with ALS as an underlying cause, according to Page Six.
What Dane Wrote About The Antigua Incident
Dane first described the moment publicly in a June 2025 “Good Morning America” interview with 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,'” he said at the time. “And I realized in that moment I’m not safe in the water anymore.”
The memoir picks up where that interview left off. After he was back on the boat, Georgia handed him his phone, and he called his estranged wife, actress Rebecca Gayheart. “‘I can’t swim, Rebecca,’ I say. ‘I can’t swim,'” Dane wrote, according to the excerpt. He recalled that the two cried together on the call.
What The Memoir Means For Fans
The account offers a rare, personal window into how ALS symptoms can surface in everyday moments, even ones as ordinary as a swim on a family trip. For fans who followed Dane’s career on “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Euphoria,” the passage underscores how quickly the disease began taking physical abilities from him, and how a routine vacation activity turned into a moment of real danger for him and his family.
The excerpt also traces the disease back to one of its earliest signs. Dane wrote that in January 2024, while eating sushi with his kids, he suddenly couldn’t work his chopsticks with his right hand, which began to tingle and then went numb. The Antigua incident came later that year, when the disease’s effects became unmistakable to him in a moment where the stakes were far higher.
Background On Dane’s Diagnosis And Career
Dane announced his ALS diagnosis in April 2025. He was best known for playing Dr. Mark Sloan on “Grey’s Anatomy” and Cal Jacobs on “Euphoria.” His memoir also addresses his exit from “Grey’s Anatomy” and his history with addiction, according to Us Weekly. In the book, Dane wrote that money, not addiction, was the deciding factor in his departure, though he acknowledged his struggles didn’t help.
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive disease that affects nerve cells controlling voluntary muscle movement. Dane’s written account of losing his swimming strength in the ocean illustrates how the disease can compromise physical abilities that once came without thought.
What’s Next
“My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments” arrives Nov. 3 from The Open Field, Maria Shriver’s imprint at Penguin Random House. Dane’s “Euphoria” co-star Jacob Elordi narrates most of the audiobook, with Shriver also among the narrators. Until then, new excerpts continue to surface through outlets including People, Page Six and Us Weekly.
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