David Hasselhoff has paid tribute to his Baywatch co-star Michael Newman after he died aged 68.

Newman played himself as a lifeguard on the famous show and was the third most regular actor after Hasselhoff, who starred as Mitch Buchannon, and Jeremy Jackson, who played Hasselhoff’s on-screen son Hobie Buchannon.

In 2006, Newman was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Hasselhoff shared a photo of himself and Newman on set on social media, saying: “Newman was a warrior… he literally saved my life at least four times.

“He made the transition from scarab to jet ski perfectly several times. What a great 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.”

Meanwhile, Jackson said he was “so happy to have seen that you were a real man” and that he was “honored to have crossed paths with Newman.”

He described Newman as a “true leader” and added “there will never be another warrior like this”.

Newman was also a full-time firefighter and continued to work during the filming of the hit American drama, which ran from 1989 to 1999.

He has starred in a number of spin-offs and appeared in the 1999 film Enemy Action with C Thomas Howell and Louis Mandylor.

His later years were spent working with the Michael J Fox Foundation to help find a cure for Parkinson’s disease.

Newman’s death was confirmed by his friend Matthew Felker, who recently directed the documentary After Baywatch: Moment In The Sun.

Days before his death, Felker said Newman joked that he had visited him “just in time.”

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“That was Mike; he found humor until the end,” he said.

Felker continued, “Before I left him, we read letters to him and played videos of friends from all walks of life. He knew he was loved.

“Before I left him, he grabbed my hand as tight as he could and looked me dead in the eyes and just nodded. I nodded and said, “We’ll see each other again, I promise.”

‘A few days later. I lost my friend. A hero, my hero. Thank you for coming into my life, Newmie, even if it was just for a short time.”