‘Aquaman’ Star Jason Momoa Shares Scary Near-Death Experience, Credits a Friend With Saving Life

Actor Jason Momoa says he nearly drowned during a high-intensity open-ocean paddle in Hawaii years ago, describing the experience as one that left him physically exhausted and fearing for his life, as reported by TMZ.

Speaking on the “Smartless” podcast with Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes, the “Aquaman” star detailed the incident, which took place off the coast of Maui. Momoa explained that he was about half a mile from shore when the situation turned dangerous.

Jason Momoa almost drowned in a surfing accident: ‘I was in a bad spot’ https://t.co/vozFXuYAOVhttps://t.co/vozFXuYAOV

— 10bmnews (@newspakistan241) August 12, 2025

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According to Momoa, he was treading water while being hit repeatedly by 10-foot waves. The powerful surf caused him to lose his boardshorts and left him physically depleted. He said his friends, identified as Laird and Dave, lost sight of him amid the waves.

Jason Momoa shares a chilling story of a near-death experience while surfing in Hawaii that pushed him to quit smoking. With his feet “covered in blood,” he opens up about the brutal incident that changed his life. Check out the full story here: https://t.co/AUoAxtdaCm

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Momoa recalled that his arms and legs were fatigued, and he began to focus on thoughts of his daughter, who was three months old at the time. He said he eventually “lost it” and stopped moving.

The actor said his body sank until his foot touched the outer reef. He dug his feet into the coral and attempted to push back to the surface to catch his breath. Despite his efforts, the waves continued to crash over him, and he described feeling as though he was “screaming inside.”

Momoa credited his survival to Laird, who paddled around the waves, approached him from behind with a board, and helped guide him out of the current. Together, they had to paddle over the waves before continuing their journey.

It’s Jason Momoa– making his pod-debut. Hot topics like cute boy haircuts, facial creams and lotions, dollar drinks on Thursdays, and near death experiences on an all-new @SmartLess. @SeanHayes #JasonBateman @arnettwill

“SmartLess” is available one week early with @SIRIUSXM. pic.twitter.com/bGyEuAa8jl

— “SmartLess” (@SmartLess) August 11, 2025

Momoa said his feet were bleeding from contact with the reef as he paddled another seven miles to their destination. He added that the incident marked the point when he decided to stop smoking cigarettes, calling it the only experience that convinced him to quit.

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