David Hasselhoff mourns the death of Baywatch co-star Michael Newman

David Hasselhoff remembers being late Baywatch costar, Michael Newman.

“Newman was a warrior…he literally saved my life at least four times,” the Mitch Buchanan actor wrote alongside a photo of him and Newman on the site Baywatch posted via Instagram late Tuesday, October 22nd. “He managed the transfer from the scarab to jet skis perfectly several times. What a great man. He was never afraid of the water. I remember directing a few episodes and he was really good. He became a great actor. We will all miss him.”

“Shout out to the one and only @newmiefish,” he commented Jeremy Jacksonwho played Hobie Buchanan, Mitch's son, in the popular lifeguard drama.

Newman died on Sunday, October 20, at the age of 68, nearly two decades after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2006.

People reported that Newman died “of heart complications,” adding that he was “surrounded by his family and friends.”

“The last time I saw Mike was when he was conscious and he looked at me and said in typical Mike fashion, 'You're just in time,'” Newman's friend said Matt Felker said the outlet.

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The red swimsuits, tanned bodies and slow-motion running make Baywatch unforgettable – even decades after it first aired. Baywatch followed lifeguards on a beach in California (and later Hawaii) as they saved innocent people from drowning, sharks, and the occasional serial killer. The drama first premiered on NBC in 1989 and ran for (…)

Newman appeared on Baywatch for 10 seasons from 1989 to 2000. His character, Newmie, was loosely based on himself, as he was the only real lifeguard in the cast. At first he wasn't a main character in the action drama, but after he started performing stunts and giving the writers pointers on rescue scenes, he became invaluable.

“I was too useful for them to get rid of,” he said People in 2023. “I basically started out as a stuntman, and after being out of the opening credits for seven years, I was finally appointed and allowed to be at the forefront of the show.”

Newman was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2006 after his family and friends noticed he was becoming slower, even though he had always been very athletic. “Everything changes,” he said People about dealing with the illness in January. “All those things you thought you would do with your kids and grandkids, photos we wanted to take, all the plans I had…have been abandoned.”

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“It’s a slow burn,” Newman added of the progression of his disease. “Parkinson’s disease doesn’t wait for you. It keeps plowing.”

Newman is survived by his wife, Sarahthe couple's two children, son Chris and daughter Emilyand her granddaughter Charlie.