Walter and his 12 year old son Chris Marino were on vacation in Daytona Beach, Florida, when a current pulled Chris out into the sea. Walter followed him to save him. They both were pulled out and Toy Story kept them alive.
The waves pushed them away and every time they were separated, Walter would shout "to infinity" and Chris would yell back "and beyond." They did it for hours until the ocean was too much and pulled them apart. They spent the night in the ocean treading water and Walter was found 8 miles from shore by the coast guard at 8 am the next morning.
After awhile, he was called to the deck and told that his son, Chris, was found a mile from where they picked up Walter. Neither of them had any serious or lasting injuries from the ordeal. Chris, who is autistic, kept Walter calm while in the ocean, because to him it was just another day swimming in the water. He only started to get upset when jellyfish started to sting him.