First responders reunite nearly five years later with boy they delivered on boat
Almost five years later
By Mary O’Connell
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CLEARWATER, Florida (WFTS) — Almost five years later, Clearwater first responders reunited with the boy they helped deliver on a boat.
“Aiden is very much into sports. He’s very athletic. He’s off the wall boy,” said Amber Easterday.
That’s how Easterday would describe her son, Aiden.
“He loves the firetrucks. He does love the fire department,” said Easterday. “He does love the water. He loves being out on boats, and I think he’s just used to the movement.”
Hearing that is no surprise when you realize how Aiden came into this world.
It’s a story ABC Action News shared nearly five years ago.
On July 4, 2020, Easterday went into labor on a pontoon boat during a thunderstorm just off the Courtney Campbell Causeway.
Once the boat got back to shore, Kenny Sweitzer Jr. and Tyler Whitfield with Clearwater Fire and Rescue climbed aboard.
“I got on the boat first. Boat was kind of rocking a little bit, jumped up there. Dad says she’s going to be delivering pretty soon,” Sweitzer, a fire medic, said back in 2020.
Within minutes, Aiden arrived.
“I could probably count on my hand the amount of times that we interact with the people we take care of, so it’s a very rewarding part of the job,” Sweitzer told ABC Action News on Wednesday morning.
“I’m excited to meet him and talk with him and have that moment with him and his family,” said Whitfield, a fire lieutenant.
Now, all this time later, Aiden, who will be five in a few months, his family, and the first responders are reunited.
Aiden and other kids got a tour of the station, tested out the gear and stepped into the shoes of their hometown heroes.
“I don’t think he really understands, so I think it’s just cool to him to see firefighters and firetrucks,” said Easterday. “We’ll come back in a couple years maybe, just keep telling his story, and he’ll remember.”
The 911 call back in 2020 is one the first responders will always remember with a bond that will last a lifetime.
“A lot of what we do obviously is negative, seeing people in like the worst times of their lives, and actually having something successful like that and bringing a life back into the world, or into the world actually, is a really good feeling for us,” said Whitfield.
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