During what started as a routine drive through Kemmerer, Wyoming, Mike Judge found himself responding to a critical emergency just steps from the fire station where he volunteers as a lieutenant. Judge and a friend noticed people pulling an unresponsive man from a vehicle outside the Kemmerer Volunteer Fire Department. The man hit the ground and wasn’t moving. Knowing there was no time to waste, his training and instincts kicked in.
“It’s almost like this mode you don’t even know you have,” said Judge, Construction & Maintenance Technician for Marathon Pipe Line, a wholly owned subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum’s midstream segment, MPLX. “Something takes over, and you just go.”
Making sure someone nearby was on the phone with 9-1-1, Judge ran into the station and grabbed an automated external defibrillator (AED) and rushed back to the man, who was still lying lifeless on the ground. For several minutes, the AED showed no response, but Judge didn’t stop. He began CPR, refusing to give up.
“For me, whether it’s my role at Marathon or as a volunteer firefighter, this was a real-life reminder of why all that training and preparation matters.”
“Then, finally we got something,” Judge said. “It wasn’t much, but we had a pulse. He was breathing. He was alive.”
Emergency medical crews arrived and took over care, transporting the man in his early 30s to a local hospital.
“Still feels surreal,” he said. “Everything happened so fast, but in that moment, it felt like an eternity until he took that first breath.”
About a week later, doctors from the University of Utah, where the man had been life-flighted due to his critical condition, called Judge with an update.
“They said they don’t know what we did or how, but this man should not be alive,” said Judge.
Doctors told Judge the man had no pulse and no oxygen going to his brain for four minutes based on what was recorded on the AED, not including the time before CPR began.
“For me, whether it’s my role at Marathon or as a volunteer firefighter, this was a real-life reminder of why all that training and preparation matters.”
Even now, Judge said it’s difficult to fully put into words how quickly it all unfolded, and how one ordinary moment became something he’ll carry with him forever.
“It was life-shaping for me,” he said. “Mostly just joy, because you’re thinking that person gets to go home. They get another chance at life.”
Judge’s response didn’t go unnoticed.
“What Mike did that day was extraordinary, but it’s also deeply representative of who he is and who we are as an organization,” said MPL’s Construction & Maintenance Director Brad Stahl. “We talk a lot about Integrity and Excellence as Core Values at Marathon Petroleum, and Mike lived them in the most real way possible that day. We couldn’t be prouder.”
Stahl said Judge’s actions serve as a powerful reminder of why preparedness matters. And when seconds count, like they did that day, it can make all the difference.
“So many things came together,” Judge said. “It happened right outside the station, so we had the equipment we needed right there. It really was one of those ‘right place at the right time’ moments. Some days, I still don’t believe it.”
Someone who couldn’t be more grateful Judge was there and didn’t hesitate to help was the man’s mother.
“She contacted me, too. I couldn’t believe it,” Judge said. “She was emotional and so appreciative. She kept telling me, ‘You saved my son.’”
Her son had to undergo immediate surgery due to severe blockages in his heart. Just four years earlier, she had lost another son to a strikingly similar event, making the moment even more surreal for both the family and Judge.
“I can’t imagine if she had to bury a second son so soon,” Judge said.
Not long after, Judge received another phone call. This time, he learned he would be honored with the Outstanding Service Award from the ambulance service provider, South Lincoln Emergency Medical Services, for his lifesaving actions.
“It was life-shaping for me. Mostly just joy, because you’re thinking that person gets to go home. They get another chance at life.”
“In moments like that, the first few minutes are everything,’” said South Lincoln EMS Chief Scott Meyers. “Because of Mike’s quick actions and the teamwork on scene, this man is alive today. We’re incredibly proud to recognize him, along with every volunteer who trains for moments like this, because you truly never know when you might be needed.”
And if Judge hopes anything comes from sharing what happened, it’s that the impact doesn’t stop with one good deed.
“If this inspires even one person to take a CPR course or gives them the confidence to step in instead of standing back, that’s another life that could get a second chance.”
Judge has since received continued updates, including that the man continues to improve through physical therapy.
“That means so much,” Judge said. “It makes you feel so good to be able to give him and his family this time back. It’s a feeling almost impossible to explain.”