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

Reunions are always emotional, but some carry an even deeper significance—especially when they involve a life-changing act of heroism. That’s exactly what happened to 94-year-old Barbara Ribeiro from California when she reunited with a man whose life she saved as a toddler. In 1961, Barbara rescued 21-month-old Ben Colwell from drowning. Now, 64 years later, their heartwarming reunion was captured by CBS 8 San Diego (@cbs8sandiego on YouTube). The once-lost toddler, now a grown man, finally got the chance to thank the woman who had saved his life.

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.