Baywatch star Michael Newman, suffering from Parkinson's disease for 18 years, dies

The star of Baywatch, actor Michael Newman, died as a result of Parkinson's disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2006. The star was 67 years old.

Newman's close friend, Matt Felker, who recently released the documentary series After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun, said that his friend died "from heart complications" on the evening of Sunday, October 20, "surrounded by his family and friends". "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'," the director told People.

David Hasselhoff reacted to the death of his Baywatch co-star. According to the celebrity, Newman saved his life at least four times while filming the series. "Newman was a warrior..." the actor said in his Instagram post, sharing a photo with Michael on the set, "We will all miss him."

A native of Los Angeles, Newman rose to fame in the '90s as head lifeguard Mike "Newmie" Newman in the long-running TV series Baywatch, and was the only cast member who was a lifeguard in the real life. He appeared in 150 episodes of the show, which ran from 1989 to 2001 - more episodes than anyone else except David Hasselhoff.

Newman was also a full-time firefighter and worked at the firehouse during the filming of the series. When Baywatch came to an end, he continued to do his job until he retired 25 years later.

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