'Baywatch' Star Michael Newman Dead at 67

"Baywatch" alum Michael Newman has died at age 67.

The actor was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2006 and died Sunday from heart complications while "surrounded by his family and friends," his friend Matthew Felker told People.

"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,' " Felker told the outlet.

Felker also remembered Newman on Instagram.

"Few of us are lucky enough to have someone like Mike Newman enter and change their life," he wrote, recalling how they met five years ago when Felker had just started work as the director of the Baywatch documentary miniseries, "After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun." "Mike was able to see the series come to fruition."

Newman was a real-life lifeguard from Los Angeles who gained recognition in the 1990s for his role on "Baywatch." Playing Mike "Newmie" Newman, he appeared in over 150 episodes, making him one of the show's longest-running cast members, second only to David Hasselhoff.

While acting in the series, Newman kept his day job as a full-time firefighter and held down the job after Baywatch concluded in 2001. He eventually retired after 25 years.

Newman teamed up with the Michael J. Fox Foundation to raise money to help find a cure for Parkinson's.

"This terminal disease has allowed me a lot of thinking time, which I maybe didn't want, but it's brought me wisdom," he told People in August.

"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," he added.

Shortly after news of his death broke, social media was flooded with messages of condolences and support, with David Hasselhoff leading tributes to his former Baywatch co-star

"Newman was a warrior....he literally saved my life at least 4 times," he wrote. "He did the transfer from the scarab to jet skis several times perfectly. What an amazing man. He was never afraid of the water. I remember directing him in a few episodes and he was really good. He became a great actor. We will all miss him."

Fellow "Baywatch" alum Nicole Eggert also remembered the late actor in a statement to the New York Post.

"Michael 'Newmie' Newman was an inspiration to all. From his knowledge, skill and willingness to share to his long fight with Parkinson's disease, he was a beacon of strength," she said Tuesday.

"The beaches will never be the same and my heart goes out to his family at this time of tremendous loss," Eggert continued. "May he rest easy and forever continue to catch waves."