Dick Van Dyke Thought He Was Going To Die In A Surfing Accident

Dick Van Dyke at the Carol Burnett Hand and Footprint in Cement Ceremony. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)

This story is almost too surreal to believe, but stranger things have happened!

Dick Van Dyke almost died while surfing but was rescued by a rather unlikely friend.

You might know Dick Van Dyke from his roles in the 1964 film Mary Poppins or perhaps his role in the 1968 classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Watch one of his famous scenes from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang below.

The famous comedic actor was born on December 13, 1925, and as of today, July 7, he is 99 years old. He has spent the majority of his life in the public eye, making comedic films and starring in television shows. He won 3 Primetime Emmy Awards for his leading role in The Dick Van Dyke Show.

He spent his career telling outlandish and theatrical stories, but according to the actor, this one is real.

The Time He Almost Drowned..

During an interview on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, which ended in 2014, Dick Van Dyke shared a story about a time he almost died.

In the 2010 interview, Ferguson asked Dick where he was living, to which Dick Van Dyke replied that he was in California.

Ferguson then asked a question that led to an interesting story: “Do you surf?” Dick emphatically responded, “No.”

He continued his story,

“I woke up out of sight of land. I look around and I started paddling with the swells, and I started seeing fins swimming around me, and I thought ‘I’m dead!’”

Stuck in the middle of the ocean with no idea which way land was would be a death sentence for most. Luckily, this is where the miraculous story takes place.

When he took a closer look, the fins were not sharks but rather friendly porpoises.

Porpoises look nearly identical to dolphins, but they differ slightly in body, fin, and snout shape. These friendly sea animals began guiding the young actor to shore, or rather, “pushed” him.

Dick shared that his friendly sea creatures got him safely to land.

“They pushed me all the way to shore,” he said. “I’m not kidding, all the way to shore.”

Watch the compelling full interview below.