Off-Duty Rescue Workers Save OK Daredevil During Stunt

A local daredevil is thankful to be alive Friday night. He was participating in a race recently when he became the main event. And that's when some off-duty first responders jumped into action.

John "Gabby" Judkins, 62, had a heart attack while tire dragging.

"My head was approximately 6 to 7 inches from the back tire doing 70 to 75 miles an hour. We took first place and I got the plaque at the house," Judkins said.

While most cheered, some looked on with raised eyebrows including his medic friends.

"I was scared that he would over-exert himself, but he is all about having fun and it looked like he was having a good time," said Stephanie Stultz, who helped save his life.

"It was just unreal," said David Thompson, who rescued Judkins.

Being rescued wasn't a part of Judkins' plan, after witnessing his father suffer through illness, he signed a DNR, or Do Not Resuscitate.  

"I do believe if we had not done what we did, we would have probably been lynched right there in Sparks and we would've never came home," Thompson said.  

Judkins is thankful his DNR paperwork was filed away.

"I don't know that the man upstairs got planned for me, but it's got a be a reason here for something," he said.

Judkins said that something he had to live for is his adopted 14-year-old daughter and ten adopted shelter dogs. Now Judkins' tire racing days are over.

The doctor who treated the 62-year-old daredevil said he was racing with a huge blockage in his heart. Only 12 percent of his ticker was functioning properly. He now has a pacemaker.