64-Year Reunion: Toddler Saved from Drowning Meets Hero Rescuer

Quick Smiles:

• A woman reunites with a toddler she saved from drowning 64 years ago.
• Ben Colwell, now 66, meets his rescuer, Barabara Ribeiro, now 94.
• The emotional reunion was captured on video.

In a touching reunion that defies the passage of time, Barabara Ribeiro, at 94, met Ben Colwell, the toddler she saved from drowning over six decades ago.

This remarkable encounter was organized by Colwell’s siblings and shared with the world.

The story dates back to 1961, when Ribeiro, then known as Barbara Urban, was attending a party.

News quickly spread that a child had gone missing, prompting guests to search the area.

Ribeiro, guided by intuition, chose a house and discovered 21-month-old Colwell at the bottom of a pool.

Describing the scene as “scary frightening,” Ribeiro sprang into action, retrieving Colwell and administering life-saving CPR with the help of a neighbor’s instructions.

Though the families stayed in touch initially, Colwell’s family soon moved away from San Diego.

When they met again after all these years, Ribeiro warned she might cry, and greeted Colwell warmly, saying, “hello, hello young man!”

Colwell, now a father of two and a business owner, expressed his gratitude, stating it was wonderful to see her.

Reflecting on the incident, Colwell shared a chilling detail: “Yeah the only thing that I had ever heard someone say, I think it was my mom, telling me that when you guys found me there wasn’t any bubbles coming up no, so no one knew how long I had been down there.”

He attributed his survival to divine intervention, saying, “When I really think of it, I think ‘hand of God.’ He made sure that I made it for some reason.”

This extraordinary reunion is a testament to the enduring impact of a single act of bravery.

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