‘We were very close to death’: Jet Li says in memoir that Maldives tsunami nearly killed his family

Martial arts icon Jet Li has revealed how he and his family were holidaying in the Maldives in 2004 when the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami hit. They narrowly escaped death, and the traumatic experience changed the course of his life, he said.

The 63-year-old actor recounted the terrifying ordeal in his memoir, Beyond Life And Death: The Way Of True Freedom, that was released on May 5.

The China-born artiste also spoke about it during an appearance on American talk show Tamron Hall Show on May 6 to promote the book alongside his daughters Jane, 25, and Jada, 22.

Li said he was holidaying with his wife, former actress Nina Li Chi, and their daughters in the Maldives when the tsunami struck without warning. At first, he thought the unusually large waves were merely rough surf, before seawater rapidly engulfed the beach resort.

Li recalled he was carrying Jane, then four, on his shoulders while their babysitter held on to one-year-old Jada, as the water rose from knee-height to his neck. A massive wave later swept the babysitter and Jada away, leaving the actor fearing for their lives.

Li said that the water came up to just below his nose, and they “were very close to death”.

He added: “That was my first near-death experience, and I thought, no matter how strong you are, when nature comes, it just comes.”

In the memoir, Li recalled choking on seawater while screaming for help, realising “the distance between life and death” was only inches.

After the waters receded, Li discovered his forearms had been shredded by shards of debris. He found himself stranded for hours in a flooded hotel lobby alongside roughly 200 guests, frantic over his still-missing wife. The family was eventually reunited after surviving the chaos.

In his interview with Hall, Li reflected on how the experience shattered his previous obsession with fame and success, pushing him towards humanitarian work instead.

The actor, best known for films such as Once Upon A Time In China (1991), Hero (2002) and Fearless (2006), later founded the One Foundation in 2007. The private charity is dedicated to disaster relief, children’s welfare and promoting philanthropy in China.

The Expendables (2010 to 2014) actor has largely stepped away from acting in recent years, devoting more time to philanthropy and family life.

Over the years, Li has refuted numerous rumours about his ailing health, with the most recent ones saying he had undergone a heart transplant. On Nov 1, 2025, he took to social media with a video of him baring his upper torso to show that he had no surgical scars, to prove that he had not had a heart transplant.