CBS News contributor David Begnaud‘s latest installment of Dear David features inspiring stories sent by viewers, including the story of a diver who helped a family recover memories after a tragedy, and of two university students who help their friend with a medical condition.
Diver’s recovery mission
A Wisconsin man who built an online following by cleaning rivers and rescuing lost items helped a grieving family recover precious memories after a fatal car accident.
Ed Bieber, known as “Ed the Diver” on social media, dove into a frozen river near Wasau, Wisconsin, in March to retrieve two phones that had fallen into the water during a tragic accident that killed Bobby Nilles, a 43-year-old man from the Wasau area.
Nilles died after his vehicle landed upside down in the frozen river on his way to work. His wife was first on the scene and lost her phone in the water while trying to save him. Nilles’ phone was also at the bottom of the river.
Derek Steinke, a friend of Nilles, reached out to Bieber on Facebook asking for help recovering the phones. Bieber, who has gained popularity documenting his river cleanup efforts and finding lost items ranging from fishing lures to drones, didn’t hesitate to help. He successfully retrieved both phones, allowing the family to recover photos and messages they thought were lost forever.
When the family offered payment, he declined.
“From the bottom of our hearts, we wanted to help the family get their memories back,” Bieber said.
Bieber’s diving hobby led him to meet his now-fiancée Christie Barlament, who purchased a mangled Barbie doll he had found in a lake. The couple, both 40, say their shared passion for giving back drives their underwater cleanup efforts.
“I’m getting a little emotional here. There are a lot of great people out there. Ed is one of those great people,” said Steinke.
“My main goal is to clean up the waterways … just do what I can as a person and make an impact,” Bieber said.
Students support classmate with medical condition
Two Southeastern Louisiana University students have become lifelines for a classmate battling a nervous system disorder that can cause her to lose consciousness without warning.
Reagan McCoy, a senior at the university, lives with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, a condition that causes her heart rate to spike and her body to shut down unpredictably. The disorder has sent her to the hospital more than a dozen times in the past year.
“I get lightheaded… I stop remembering where I am,” McCoy said.
Her classmate Bailey Babin has learned to recognize the warning signs and springs into action when McCoy needs help.
“I tell Bailey like, ‘Tag, you’re it.’ And she knows to kind of stop what she’s doing if she can get me outside of the classroom as fast as possible,” McCoy said.
During episodes, Babin places McCoy’s head on her lap and times the unconscious periods. If they exceed five minutes, she calls an ambulance.
McCoy’s boyfriend, Peyton Loving, also provides constant support as she navigates her health challenges while pursuing her degree.
“Without Bailey or Peyton, I honestly don’t know where I would be,” McCoy said.
Despite her health struggles, McCoy is graduating early from the university. She credits her friends with making her feel like more than her medical condition.
“Her health problems don’t define who she is. She’s a lot more than that,” Loving said.
Babin, who describes McCoy as meaning “quite literally the world” to her, said she never questions her commitment to helping her friend.
“When it comes to my friend’s health and my friend’s wellbeing, I’m gonna be there,” Babin said.
David Begnaud loves uncovering the heart of every story and will continue to do so, highlighting everyday heroes and proving that there is good news in the news with his exclusive “CBS Mornings” series, “Beg-Knows America.” Every Monday, get ready for moments that will make you smile or even shed a tear. Do you have a story about an ordinary person doing something extraordinary for someone else? Email David and his team at DearDavid@cbsnews.com