Reporter: CHAMPIONSHIP
ROPER FREDDIE VEST LOVES THE
THRILL OF THE CHASE AND
COMPETING AGAINST HIS FELLOW
COWBOYS.
ON JULY 28, 2008, FREDDIE
WAS HEADED TO A CALF ROPING
IN GRAND, TEXAS.
HIS DAUGHTER, LEAH,
REMEMBERS SEEING HER FATHER
OFF AT THE DOOR.
WE HUGGED FOR A LONG
TIME.
I REMEMBER TURNING BACK TO
TELL HIM I LOVED HIM, AND IT
BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES.
Reporter: BUT 1:30 THAT
AFTERNOON, HE MADE THREE
SUCCESSFUL CALF RUNS.
HE WAS WAITING TO MAKE HIS
FOURTH WHEN HE SUDDENLY
DROPPED DEAD IN THE SADDLE.
HIS FRIEND, DENNIS MCKINLEY
REMEMBERS THAT DAY.
ALL OF A SUDDEN I SAW
THIS MOVEMENT OUT OF MY LEFT
EYE, AND ALMOST
SIMULTANEOUSLY, SMACK.
AND I LOOKED, AND HE WAS ON
THE GROUND.
I JUMPED OFF THE FENCE AND I
WAS THE FIRST ONE TO HIM.
I PUT MY HAND UNDER HIS HEAD
AND LIFTED IT UP AND STARTED
PRAYING FOR HIM.
Reporter: VETERAN
FIREFIGHTER EDDIE SMITH WAS
NEXT TO RESPOND.
WHILE EDDIE BEGAN C.P.R.,
DENNIS CALLED ON EVERYONE TO
PRAY.
WHEN I WAS DOING THE
C.P.R., I WAS PRAYING, BUT I
COULD HEAR PEOPLE PRAYING
ALL AROUND ME.
I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, THERE
WAS A LOT OF MEN AND A LOT
OF WOMEN THAT WERE PRAYING.
Reporter: A FELLOW
FIGHTER DON LAVENDER
CONTINUED DOING C.P.R. ON
FREDDIE FOR 45 MINUTES,
UNTIL THE AMBULANCE
ARRIVED.
THEY GOT HIM ON THE
STRETCHER AND PUT HIM IN THE
AMBULANCE.
AND THEY SHOCKED HIM.
AND EDDIE SAYS, IT DOESN'T
LOOK GOOD.
THEY WERE STRAIGHT LINING
HIM, AND THAT MEANS YOU'RE
DEAD.
WE PUT IT IN GOD'S HEADS.
Reporter: DOCTORS AT
THE HOSPITAL WERE THERE WERE
ABLE TO GET AN IRREGULAR
HEART BEAT, AND HE WAS AR
LIFT -- AIRLIFTED TO ANOTHER
HOSPITAL.
HIS WIFE AND SON WERE IN
ANOTHER CITY WHEN THEY HEARD
THE NEWS.
EDDIE'S WIFE CALLED AND
SAID THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT
DURING THE ROPING AND SHE
DIDN'T KNOW ALL OF THE
DETAILS.
SHE TOLD ME THAT FREDDIE
FELL OFF HIS HORSE AND I
NEEDED TO GET TO THE
HOSPITAL.
I TRIED TO GET THERE AS FAST
AS I COULD.
I FELT LIKE THERE WAS
NOTHING I COULD DO.
IT WAS JUST TAKING FOREVER.
Reporter: FREDDIE'S
LOVED ONES HELD VIGIL AS HE
WAS RUSHED INTO SURGERY.
DOCTORS TOLD THE FAMILY THEY
WERE ABLE TO REPAIR HIS
HEART, BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT TO EXPECT LONG-TERM.
THE DOCTOR SPOKE WITH THEM
ABOUT FREDDIE'S CHANCE OF
SURVIVAL.
OF ALL OF THE CARDIAC
ARRESTS, ONLY ABOUT 9% WILL
SURVIVE.
EVERY MINUTE THAT PASSES
WITHOUT THE RESTORATION OF
BLOOD FLOW, YOUR MORTALITY
GOES UP 10%.
THE BRAIN, YOU'VE GOT MAYBE
FIVE, SIX, SEVEN -- IF
YOU'RE LUCKY, 10 MINUTES TO
GET THINGS GOING.
I ACTUALLY WAS CONCERNED HE
WAS GOING TO HAVE BRAIN
DAMAGE.
Reporter: ALL THEY
COULD DO WAS WAIT.
I WOULD GO WHEREVER I
COULD TO GET ALONE, AND
THAT'S WHERE I WOULD PRAY.
Reporter: WHILE HIS
RELATIVES AND FRIENDS WERE
PRAYING AT THE HOSPITAL,
FREDDIE SAYS HE WAS
SOMEWHERE ELSE.
THERE IS A BIBLE VERSE
SAYS "ABSENT FROM THE BODY
IS PRESENT WITH THE LORD."
AND WHEN I FELL OFF THAT
HORSE, I WAS DEAD BEFORE I
HIT THE GROUND.
I WAS WITH THE LORD.
AND HE DIDN'T ALLOW ME TO
SEE WHAT HEAVEN WAS LIKE,
BUT HE LET ME EXPERIENCE
WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO BE IN
HEAVEN.
HE SHOWED ME THE LOVE THAT'S
THERE.
AND THERE IS MORE LOVE THAN
YOU CAN IMAGINE.
THE FEELING OF HOW MUCH LOVE
IT IS IS INCREDIBLE.
AND THE PEACE THAT YOU
HAVE -- IT'S A PERFECT
PEACE.
THE ONLY THING I CAN RELATE
IT TO IS WHERE I WAS YOUNG,
I WOULD CRAWL UP IN MY
MOTHER'S LAP, AND SHE WOULD
CRADLE ME AND HOLD ME AND
ROCK ME.
AND THAT WAS THE MOST
PEACEFUL, SAFE, LOVING
PLACE.
AND THAT FEELING -- YOU
COULD MULTIPLY IT BY A
THOUSAND, AND YOU WOULDN'T
BE CLOSE TO WHAT IT REALLY
FEELS LIKE WHEN YOU'RE THERE
WITH THE LORD.
I TELL SOME OF MY BUDDIES,
THERE IS NO "I'VE GOT TO DO"
IN HEAVEN.
THERE WAS NOT A FEELING OF
TIME.
THERE WAS NO TIME TO WORRY
ABOUT, LIKE I NEED TO GO DO
THIS.
I SHOULD BE DOING THIS.
THERE WAS NOTHING LIKE
THAT.
Reporter: FREDDIE ALSO
REMEMBERS HAVING
CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD.
WHEN I WAS THERE, THERE
WAS COMMUNICATION, BUT IT
WASN'T COMMUNICATION LIKE
WORDS.
THE COMMUNECATION WAS INSIDE
OF ME.
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS
VERBALLY, OR THAT YOU WOULD
HAVE EARS TO HEAR OR A MOUTH
TO SPEAK IT.
IT WAS WHEN GOD TELLS YOU
SOMETHING, YOU CAN -- YOU
KNOW IT'S HIM.
HE ALLOWED ME TO SEE THE
PRAYERS THAT CAME UP FOR
ME.
AND IT STARTED WITH ONE BOLT
OF LIGHT, AND THEN THERE WAS
TWO BOLTS OF LIGHT, AND
THREE AND THEN THERE WAS 10
AND, LIKE, HUNDREDS OF BOLTS
OF LIGHT.
EACH ONE OF THOSE BOLTS OF
LIGHT WAS A PRAYER THAT
SOMEONE THAT SENT UP FOR
ME.
WHEN THERE GOT TO BE SO MANY
BOLTS OF LIGHT, IT EXPLODED
INTO THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO
EXPLAIN IT.
IT WAS JUST A VERY, VERY
BRIGHT LIGHT.
THAT'S WHEN GOD SENT ME
BACK.
AND WHEN I CAME BACK FROM
THAT, I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL
BED, AND THEY HAD MY ARMS
TIED DOWN.
I WAS ON LIFE SUPPORT.
THEY HAD A TUBE DOWN MY
THROAT.
THEY HAD AN I.V. IN MY HAND,
AND ONE IN MY NECK.
AND WHEN I CAME TO, I TRIED
TO STRUGGLE AND GET UP.
THE NURSE THERE SAID,
MR. BEST, YOU'RE OKAY.
AND I JUST LOOKED AT HER AND
I SAID OKAY?
YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE I'VE
BEEN.
THIS DOESN'T COMPARE TO
OKAY.
Reporter: FREDDIE MADE
A FULL RECOVERY, BUT HE
STILL QUESTIONED WHAT HE'D
EXPERIENCED.
FOR A WHILE, I THOUGHT,
WELL, I'VE GOT TO DO
SOMETHING AND MAKE SOMETHING
HAPPEN FOR THE LORD.
HE SENT ME BACK FOR A
PURPOSE.
I NEED TO GO BACK SOMETHING
HAPPEN.
THAT WASN'T IT.
FOR SEVERAL MONTHS I PRAYED
EVERY MORNING WHY.
AND SO HE TOOK ME TO
JEREMIAH AND SHOWED ME A
VERSE THERE.
AND THE VERSE SIMPLY SAYS
"YOU WILL GO TO WHOM I SENT
YOU TO, AND YOU WILL SAY
WHAT I HAVE YOU TO SAY."
AND I'M A SIMPLE PERSON, BUT
I UNDERSTOOD THAT.
AND THAT'S MY PURPOSE.
I DON'T TRY TO MAKE THINGS
HAPPEN NOW.
I WAIT FOR THE DAY.
AND WHEN HE TAKES ME TO
SOMEONE, I SAY WHAT HE HAS
ME TO SAY.
Reporter: TODAY FREDDIE
AND HIS FAMILY SAVOR THEIR
TIME TOGETHER.
ALTHOUGH FREDDIE SAYS HE
STILL ANTICIPATES RETURNING
TO THE PLACE HE CALLS HOME.
HEAVEN IS REAL.
HE IS A REAL PERSON.
I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY I
WILL GET TO BE THERE.
BUT I'M NOT PUSHING IT.
AT FIRST, WHEN I CAME BACK,
I WAS READY TO GO THE NEXT
DAY.
BUT I LOVE MY FAMILY.
I LOVE MY KIDS.
I LOVE MY WIFE.
I'LL STAY AS LONG AS HE
ALLOWS ME TO STAY.
BUT WHEN I DO GO, THEY DON'T
HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ME.
DYING IS EASY; LIVING IS
HARD.
THERE IS SOMEONE OUT THERE
THAT NEEDS TO KNOW THAT
HEAVEN IS A REAL PLACE.
GOD IS A REAL PERSON.
AND WHEN YOU TAKE THAT LAST
BREATH, IF YOU'RE A
CHRISTIAN, YOU'RE GOING TO
MEET HIM.
