Jason Momoa reveals the moment he feared he would DIE during ‘brutal’ surfing accident in Hawaii

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Jason Momoa is opening up about a near-death incident that still haunts him to this day.

In a recent episode of the Smartless podcast, Jason Momoa, aged 46 and known for his role as Aquaman, shared an incident where he came close to drowning during a surf trip near Maui, Hawaii, back in 2007.

Momoa mentioned that he had been paddling out, and they ended up at Jaws,” he stated, referring to the famous surf spot on Maui’s north coast known for attracting the world’s best surfers due to its massive and risky waves.

Momoa, presently in a relationship with Adria Arjona from Andor, shared with hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes that while they were on a 13-mile paddle boarding journey along the island’s shoreline, his predicament suddenly became critical.

As I ventured approximately a mile out to sea in the heart of Maui, a sudden gust of wind caused my leash to snap. By this point, we had already covered roughly seven miles into our journey when this unexpected incident occurred. The wind on Maui was particularly fierce that day.

During his time on Stargate: Atlantis, Momoa had already received substantial training. As a result, when he first started surfing, he felt confident. However, as the waves started to hit him, things quickly became more challenging.

He revealed that he endured several large impacts, much like the mighty 10-foot waves of Hawaii. However, at the time, he was approximately half a mile away from the shore.

As Momoa grew weary from swimming against the turbulent currents, he found himself stuck in a chaotic part of the sea, possibly near the edge of a coral reef, making it difficult for his friends to locate him.

He stated that he was actually out in the far part of the coral reef where they couldn’t spot him. With his paddle in hand, he was attempting to wave at them but remained unnoticed due to the enormous waves.

As I stood on the brink of my upcoming role in “Game of Thrones” that was yet to make waves, my heart was heavy with worry when thoughts turned to my precious three-month-old daughter, Lola.

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I’d rephrase it like this: My lovely daughter, who is now 18 years old, was born to me in partnership with my ex-wife Lisa Bonet. We then welcomed our energetic son, Nakoa-Wolf, into the world, making him 16 years young.

‘I just lost it. I was like, “Oh s***,”‘ Moma admitted.

In simpler terms, Momoa shared that he started floating aimlessly on the water due to his worry that he might have been left alone by the rest of their party.

He recounted that after being there for a significant amount of time, he didn’t notice anyone approaching to help him. Exhaustion had set in, leaving him unable to move any longer; his limbs were lifeless. He described feeling as though his body had come to a complete halt, and his arms no longer responded to his will. Metaphorically, he said it was like sinking or bubbling down, until eventually his toe brushed against the outer reef.

‘I literally gave up, and I’m screaming inside,’ Momoa said of his moment of despair. 

At the brink of giving up, he found new determination when a friend noticed him from afar and swam out to offer support.

He remembered saying, “I climbed back onto the board and we began to paddle.” He clarified that swimming a shorter distance to the shore wasn’t an option. “He told me to head out,” he continued, “so we kept paddling further.

Despite relentless pounding from rough waves throughout their journey, Momoa and his companion were yet to cover another seven miles before reaching their destination.

At that stage, the Dune actor had severely bled due to his self-inflicted cut from the hidden reef concealed beneath the water’s surface.

He recalled, “My feet were drenched in blood. Feeling a connection to my ancestors, I continued rowing the rest of the journey, keeping a low profile and eventually disembarked.

After a close brush with death, Jason Momoa’s career experienced an amazing revival which continues to flourish until now.

He attained global stardom following his key role as Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones, which was then solidified by his appearances as Aquaman in numerous DC Comics movies.

In addition, Momoa took on a role in the upcoming Fast & Furious sequel, Fast X, and joined an impressive group of actors for the movie version of the popular video game Minecraft, both projects he was involved in this past year.

He also earned rave reviews as Duncan Idaho in 2021’s Dune: Part One.

As a die-hard admirer, I couldn’t resist the allure of missing out on the second movie featuring Timothée Chalamet in his starring role. Now, my heart races with excitement as I eagerly anticipate rejoining the world of Dune: Messiah, where filming is currently underway for its sequel!

Currently, you can catch Jason Momoa in the nine-episode series titled “Chief of War,” which made its debut on Apple TV+ on August 1.

The performer, who additionally serves as an executive producer for the series, takes on the role of the historical war leader Kaʻiana. In the final years of the 18th century, Kaʻiana resisted Kamehameha I’s efforts to conquer and unite the principal Hawaiian islands by rebellion.

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2025-08-14 05:34