Carlo Maccharulo, 65, a father of three and grandfather of three, told News 12 he was pressure washing a bench in his backyard in Butter Hill Estates when the pain hit.

"I had some stomach pain," he said of last Wednesday's scare, "which I thought was indigestion."

Maccharulo went inside to rest, unaware he was experiencing a heart attack.

His wife Tina eventually insisted they call for an ambulance.

If they had waited much longer to call for help, Maccharulo would likely not have survived.

His heart actually stopped for about four minutes, according to first responders who came to his rescue.

The EMS crew cut off his shirt and shocked him back to life on the way to Montefriore St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital in Newburgh.

"[They] did an emergency stent operation on my main artery. They call it the widowmaker," he said holding back tears. "I just wanted to thank the New Windsor team for saving my life."

News 12 accompanied the Maccharulo family to the New Windsor Town Ambulance Service, where they thanked the EMS crew in person and gave them a gift basket.

Paramedic Nicholas Seymour, 24, kept Maccharulo alive in the back of the ambulance, using defibrillator pads and administering chest compressions.

"I can't thank you enough," Maccharulo told Seymour as the two hugged.

"Yeah, of course," said Seymour, who has been a paramedic for less than a year. "I'm glad everything went well."

Seymour said he knew almost immediately Maccharulo had a potentially fatal arrhythmia, which led him to take lifesaving measures.

"I did all my training with the paramedic supervisor here," he said, "so he taught me everything, and I knew exactly what to do."

As Seymour showed Maccharulo the tools and technology that helped save his life, he also mentioned that in the midst of the emergency Maccharulo threw some punches at the EMS crew.

Seymour said such a response is not unusual when a patient's brain is being shorted oxygen.

"Was I really swinging?," Maccharulo asked.

"Yes," Seymour said laughing. "I would be, too. It's quite alright. That's normal - the lack of oxygen and everything that happened."

Maccharulo, while fascinated with the tools Seymour used to save his heart, gives all the credit to Seymour and his team for their quick action and their own big hearts.

The Maccharulo family said they hope those who hear their story will take chest pain incidents more seriously.

Anyone who feels chest pain should seek medical attention immediately.