Clint Eastwood swam miles to survive a plane crash. He was glad nobody told him about the sharks

In September 1951, Clint Eastwood survived a bomber crash into the ocean off California while serving as a young Army recruit. He escaped the aircraft with the pilot, but rough weather knocked him into the freezing water, where he had to swim several miles to shore. The experience shows how a real emergency can remain perilous even after escaping the initial danger.

Eastwood later recalled that his life jacket did not work properly, he lost sight of the pilot and struggled with a current as darkness fell; reaching land also meant negotiating dangerous surf and rocks. He learnt years later that the waters were a white shark breeding ground, and said knowing this at the time might have made him give up. His experience as a former swimming instructor and lifeguard helped him, and he later drew on the helplessness of being an aircraft passenger while making *Sully*.