CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — For most of us, birthdays bring back special memories, but for Aiden Easterday, his story is one for the books. Nearly five years ago, he was born out on the water in the middle of a storm.

On Wednesday, he got to reunite with first responders who were there for his incredible arrival.

Aiden Easterday is soaking up every moment at the fire station in clearwater.
“He loves the fire trucks, he does love the fire department, he love the waters…I think he is just used to the movement,” his mom, Amber Easterday, said.
That love for water makes sense considering he was born on it, nearly five years ago near the Courtney Campbell Causeway on July 4th, 2020.

“We were going through a terrible thunderstorm on the boat and the waves were just coming over the pontoon. We were all covered in towels and every hit was like a contraction,” Easterday said.

That’s when Aiden’s mom went into labor, 10 days early. First responders Tyler Whitfield and Kenny Sweitzer Jr. rushed to help.

“You know, seeing people at like the worst times of their lives and, you know, actually having something successful like that and bringing life back into the world is a really good feeling for us,” Whitfield said.

Aiden is finally getting to meet the two firefighters who made sure he arrived safely.

“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 Jr. said.

And if you ask his mom, Aiden is just as adventurous now as he was the day he was born..
“Aiden’s very much into sports and very athletic, he’s an off the wall boy,” Easterday said.

Aiden was among a group of kids touring the fire station, but for him, it was extra special getting to see the very people who played a huge role in his life, before he even took his first steps.