Madison Bailey Nearly Drowned Filming ‘Outer Banks,’ Then Her Co-Star Saved Her

Behind-the-scenes stories from beloved shows tend to hit differently once a series comes to an end, offering fans a chance to see just how much went into bringing their favorite moments to life. As ‘Outer Banks’ heads toward its final chapter, cast members have started opening up about experiences that never made it to the screen.

Chase Stokes and Madison Bailey have spent five seasons building one of the most recognizable on-screen friend groups on Netflix, playing John B and Kiara within the show’s tight-knit Outer Banks. Their real-life bond has often mirrored that closeness, but a recent joint interview revealed just how far that connection extended during production.

While reflecting on their time filming together, Stokes revealed he once helped save Bailey during a terrifying underwater sequence shot in Barbados, one that nearly turned into a genuine emergency on set. The scene required Bailey’s character, Kiara, to hold JJ Maybank, played by Rudy Pankow, above the water after his character had been knocked unconscious off a boat.

Speaking during a “Lie v. Lie” segment with Entertainment Weekly, Stokes recalled the moment things took a turn. “We were in Barbados, and there’s a scene when JJ gets knocked off of a boat, and he’s unconscious in the water and Kiara’s holding him up,” he said, before explaining that he suddenly realized he could no longer see Bailey’s face beneath the surface.

What followed was a genuinely frightening sequence of events. Stokes jumped off the boat to check on Bailey, only to realize she wasn’t performing distress for the camera, she was actually struggling to breathe. Communication underwater proved difficult in the moment, making it even harder for him to immediately understand the severity of what was happening.

Bailey later confirmed just how real the danger was. “I was drowning,” she said, adding with a laugh that everyone on set initially assumed she was simply delivering a convincing performance. Stokes echoed that irony, joking that crew members thought he was just an unusually committed actor for leaving the boat in the middle of the open ocean to “stay in character.”

That kind of mix-up speaks to just how physically demanding underwater filming can be, especially on a show known for its ocean-heavy stunts and action sequences. Bailey has openly admitted that underwater work has consistently been the hardest part of filming ‘Outer Banks’ for her, often joking about how effortlessly Stokes seems to swim by comparison.

The timing of this story adds an extra layer of poignancy, given that Season 5 marks the end of the road for the Pogues. Following JJ’s death in the Season 4 finale, the remaining group, including John B, Kiara, Pope and Cleo, embarks on one final adventure together, with Kiara continuing to process the loss of her love interest throughout the season.

By the end of the series, John B and his love interest, Sarah, find their own resolution, ultimately settling down, getting married and starting a family. That emotional throughline mirrors the real-life bond between cast members like Stokes and Bailey, whose off-screen friendship has often been described by both actors as feeling like family.

Stories like this one offer a reminder that stunt work, even on a coming-of-age drama built more around chemistry than spectacle, still carries genuine physical risk. It’s a testament to the trust built between castmates over five seasons that Stokes was able to recognize something was wrong and act quickly enough to prevent the situation from becoming even more dangerous.

As ‘Outer Banks’ prepares to say goodbye to its Pogues for good, moments like this near-drowning incident add real weight to just how much the cast has been through together, both on screen and off.

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