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Baywatch icon Michael Newman has passed away at the age of 68 after a prolonged 18-year struggle with Parkinson's disease.
A friend of the late actor disclosed that he succumbed on Sunday evening to "heart complications". He was diagnosed with the crippling disease in 2006 at the age of 50.
Newman, affectionately known as Newmie, became a household name through his stint on the hit series, featuring in a staggering 150 episodes. He was the only actor on the show who worked as a lifeguard in real life.
Michael's comrade, Matt Felker, recounted the poignant final moments he shared with Newman. Felker, who helmed the Hulu documentary series After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun, disclosed that Newman was encircled by loved ones during his last breaths.
Speaking to People magazine, Felker reminisced: "I got to see Mike the last time he was conscious and he looked [at] me and in typical Mike fashion said, 'You're just in time'."
Newman, not just an on-screen hero but also a bona fide lifeguard and dedicated firefighter, juggled his firefighting duties alongside his Baywatch commitments. After a commendable 25 years, he hung up his fireman's helmet for good, reports the Mirror.
In his later years, Newman devoted himself to fundraising for the Michael J Fox Foundation, aiming to spearhead a breakthrough in Parkinson's researcha condition he had been battling for more than a decade.
In a heartfelt revelation last August, Newman expressed his desire to use his personal battle to shine a light on Parkinson's, imparting to People: "This terminal disease has allowed me a lot of thinking time, which I maybe didn't want, but it's brought me wisdom."
He continued: "My body has changed so slowly that I hardly notice it, yet I am constantly reminded that Parkinson's has now become the center of my life."
Newman added: "I am cherishing the days that I get to be on this earth with family and friends. I'm taking life seriously."
In recent months, Newman had been taking part in a new docuseries about Baywatch, titled After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun, set for release on Hulu.
Looking back at his time on the show, he told Digital Journal: "Watching it come back is really powerful and gratifying. Baywatch is the gift that keeps on giving.
"Back in the early ‘90s, when we were shooting the show, we had more freedom language-wise and with the wardrobe. I used to have a lot of fun back then. I tried my best to make all the rescues seem very realistic."
Newman went on: "I got to go to work, and I got paid for doing what I love: all the rescue scenes, diving, boat driving were things that I excelled in, and I got to do it all on the show, so that was cool."
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