One minute, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Andy Sims was presenting a case to a Jessamine County grand jury. The next, he was on the ground, unconscious, his heart stopped, stricken with sudden cardiac death. But Sims didn't die, and today, both he and his rescuer were recognized.

"I had a pain in my head, I did one of these numbers, and the next thing anybody else knows, I did a faceplant right on the ground, busted my head open," said Sims.

Sims collapsed on June 6. Doctors say the otherwise healthy man was stricken with sudden cardiac death. He says thankfully, everyone in the courtroom jumped into action. His rescuer took an unlikely form.

"Thank the Lord, Dave Thomas, a friend of mine and adversary, local defense attorney, was there and he rushed into the court," said Sims.

The defense attorney kept the prosecutor alive until help arrived. Today, the two were recognized during a prosecutors conference. While the two are rivals in the courtroom, they said they'll share a special bond forever.

"How do I feel about Dave Thomas? I love Dave Thomas, he saved my life," said Sims.

"I love Andy. I feel like he's a son of mine. I've wrestled with whether or not I'll be able to do battle with him in the courtroom and I think I'll be able to. I think we'll shoot straight and be able to honestly do combat in the courtroom and when we leave, we'll still have that bond as all humans should have toward each other," said Thomas. He said he learned CPR when he was a Boy Scout at age 14.

Doctors say they still don't know why Sims collapsed.