NAMPA, Idaho — Sharon Sullivan of Twin Falls, Idaho is feeling extra grateful this holiday season. She said she is alive today thanks to a total stranger, who is now a friend. Sullivan went into cardiac arrest while she was driving in Nampa. Her hero, a man named Reuben DeKastle, just happened to be driving by.
"Oh my gosh, I don't even know where to start. Reuben, he literally saved my life," Sullivan said. "He went above and beyond, he decided to stop, and I firmly believe it was a divine intervention."
Sullivan said that day in June of 2024 started out just like any other Sunday.
"I was going to meet my daughter and her family at the Brandt center in Nampa," Sullivan said. "I took the Garrity exit and that's all I remember. I remember nothing else."
Little did Sullivan know, she went into cardiac arrest behind the wheel, and she lost control of her car.
DeKastle was driving by and noticed the banged-up car.
"I remember coming up on an accident with my wife, we were just coming home from church, and the car didn't look right. It was in the middle of the road, right along Garrity Blvd," DeKastle said.
DeKastle has been a registered nurse for over 30 years, he was in the right place at the right time.
"We came up to the windows and we saw a lady slumped over in the car, and the car was pretty beat up, and it took awhile but I broke through one of the windows. I had to beat on the windows with a small tool until I finally got in," DeKastle said. "I saw immediately that she was way too purple, and I checked for a pulse and reclined her seat and started CPR."
His quick response and CPR kept Sullivan alive until the fire crews and paramedics arrived.
"It's a very important skill and some people think it's way more complicated than it actually is," DeKastle said. "When you are there without any equipment, you've only got your two hands."
Rachel Rabatin with Nampa Fire said he was so impressed with his quick actions that day.
"Reuben stepped in in a moment of crisis, first responders can only get there so quickly, when something like this happens and it's witnessed by a member of the public, they should step in," said Rabatin. "He took life saving actions before the first responders were able to get there."
Paramedic Collin Hale said they depend on people who witness accidents to help while they are on the way.
"I think he was the key part of this whole scenario. I think he was there, he worked fast, he worked quickly," Hale said. "He was the strongest link, and he was the foundation to making sure this patient got what she needed in time."
Sullivan was hospitalized, but she survived and recovered.
They met for the first time several weeks after the incident.
"We met at a local restaurant, and I did nothing but just hug him and cry," Sullivan said. "Just meeting him and the overwhelming gratitude that I have for him, because he literally gave me life."
DeKastle said it was an emotional meeting for both of them.
"I immediately recognized her, that was amazing," he said. "It was hug time obviously, and we hugged a long time."
DeKastle was recently honored by the Nampa Fire Department for his heroic efforts that day.
"Reuben is always going to be my hero," Sullivan said. "There is no question, Reuben is responsible for saving my life. God used him that day to give me the gift of life."
The Nampa first responders who helped save Sullivan were also honored at the ceremony. She got to meet them and thank them for the first time that day.
"Thank you is not nearly enough, it will never be enough, just for the job they do every single day," said Sullivan. "I can't even imagine the conditions that they encounter sometimes, but just to thank them publicly for the passion that they have and the career that they are in."
DeKastle said he was just glad he could be there to help that day.
"In reality, there's no such thing as a stranger, it's probably just a friend you haven't met yet," he said.
He said he hopes this story inspires everyone to learn CPR because you could save a life. For more information on how to learn CPR locally, click here.