For 64 years, Barbara never forgot the boy she rescued. When she saw him again at 94, she burst out crying

For most people, reunions are emotional, filled with patches of endearing memories once shared with loved ones. However, for some, these moments are even more special due to a remarkable connection with someone they lost touch with over time. A woman found herself in a similar situation when a man whose life she saved as a child showed up at her place years later. Hailing from California, Barbara Ribeiro, 94, recently met the now all-grown-up toddler she rescued from drowning in 1961. Their heartwarming reunion after 64 long years was captured by CBS 8 San Diego (@cbs8sandiego on YouTube), showing how the savior was greeted by Ben Colwell, who had been found at the bottom of a backyard pool.

At the time, Barbara was featured on the front page of the San Diego Sentinel for saving the life of the drowning toddler. The woman, back then in her mid-30s, was attending a party when she heard the guests talking about a missing 21-month-old baby. While searching for the little one through the Pacific Beach neighborhood, she miraculously entered a house where the baby had somehow managed to get in, reported the outlet. As she reached the pool, the woman found the baby at the bottom, showing no signs of movement.

Panicked, Barbara took no time and jumped into the pool to save 21-month-old Ben’s life. According to the woman, the kid had wandered about a block away from the party and fallen into the pool. Speaking about the horrific sight, Barbara recalled how it was “scary” and “frightening” for her to see the still toddler. After rescuing Ben, she performed both mouth-to-mouth and CPR to help restore the kid’s oxygen flow, as per the outlet. Another neighbor, who was present there, reportedly gave her instructions on how to provide rescue breathing and chest compressions.

As Barbara was about to meet Ben in person for the second time—almost six decades after the incident—her eyes were welling up with tears. “I'm a crybaby,” the senior was heard whispering into the camera. Following this, someone knocked on her door, and as expected, it was Ben. “Hello, hello, young man!” she remarked while welcoming him into her house. Ben, a local business owner and father of two, was equally happy to meet his savior. Emphasizing how nice it was to see Barbara, Ben told the outlet, “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 weren’t any bubbles coming up, no, so no one knew how long I had been down there.”

The business owner highlighted that being saved from drowning was a miracle. “When I really think of it, I think ‘hand of God.’ He made sure that I made it for some reason,” Ben added. When the host asked Barbara what made her stop outside that house, she responded, “It’s a mystery, but it prompted me to go where I did.” Similarly, Ben couldn't recall what happened that day except for praising Barbara for her heroic act.