All he had to do was collect the throw and whip off the bails.
But with Central Districts tailender Jayden Lennox desperately trying to make his ground and secure a tie for the visitors, Gibson snatched at it and left the ball behind.
He botched the run out.
It was a dramatic end to frantic final over.
The Stags needed 12 to win and Tom Bruce, who batted his side back into the game with 63 from 44, slammed the first ball for four.
But he sliced the next to Luke Georgeson.
Gibson delivered up a couple of wides, but then bowled Ajaz Patel with the penultimate ball.
The Stags need three off the last ball to edge past the Volts’ total of 139 for five.
Lennox got back for two.
No-one won.
The Volts made a series of changes for the game.
Georgeson got his first T20 start for Otago, while Jamal Todd was on T20 debut. Thorn Parkes made the starting XI as well.
Llew Johnson and Dale Phillips dropped out of the 12, while Ollie White shuffled to 12th man.
But the small crowd of 550 had come to see Hamish Rutherford, who earlier in the week announced his retirement after 15 years at the top level.
The veteran left-hander struggled to get going. He got an inside edge past leg stump down to fine leg for four.
Rutherford found some timing late in the powerplay. He lofted a delivery from Doug Bracewell over his head for four and cut the next away to the rope.
Bruce brought himself on to bowl and got the breakthrough. Georgeson (22) drilled a drive straight back at the bowler’s bread basket and he clung on after bobbling the ball, which had arrived at pace.
Rutherford was dropped at third man moments later. The catch was so simple the 34-year-old had starting planning his route back to the dressing room.
That came in handy when he was stumped for 26 shortly after.
He skipped down the wicket and missed. He had added a pretty scratchy 26. It was far from a trademark innings.
Central Districts seamer Joey Field had to be helped from the venue after he injured his shoulder while diving to field the ball.
That left the visitors a bowler and a batter down.
The Volts had dawdled through the first 15 overs, and it fell on Dean Foxcroft to drag the team through to a decent total.
He whipped a delivery from Blair Tickner over third man for six. But the captain was having to do all the striking, and eventually he swung and missed on 42.
Left-arm spinner Lennox got him and then got Gibson later in what was a wonderful 19th over.
Parkes finally found the middle of his bat in the final over to help the Volts close in on 140.
That speed bump of a target had morphed into a mountain by the time Jacob Duffy had finished his first spell.
He got his outswinger going and removed both openers, bringing up 100 T20 wickets in the process.
Georgeson pulled off a stunning run out to dispatch the dangerous Dane Cleaver.
The visitors were three down for 22 and labouring.
Bruce and Bracewell (30 off 20) got the Stags back in the contest.
Victory slipped away, but they picked up a valuable two points for the tie and moved into third place.
The Volts are out of the playoff race and will complete their campaign with a home game against Northern Districts on Tuesday.
