RICHMOND, Va. — John Jenks and Mattias Clouse were strangers — until the moment they weren't.
"It's not every day that the dude who saved your life walks in the room and you've never seen him before," Jenks said.
For nearly two months, Jenks didn't know who kept him alive after the 66-year-old collapsed from sudden cardiac arrest while riding his bike in Richmond. Clouse witnessed it.
"I called 911. He was turning blue, and I asked what can I do, and so she instructed me on how to do CPR, and that's what I did," Clouse said.
Richmond Ambulance Authority paramedics arrived minutes later and began shocking Jenks' heart. Fifteen minutes later, they got a pulse.
Jenks underwent surgery at Chippenham Hospital.
"I had a bypass at Chippenham. God bless Chippenham," Jenks said.
The scar down his chest is more than a reminder of surgery. It's a symbol of survival.
"My heart was in bad shape. And then they ... put you back together," Jenks said. "It's a miracle. I mean, it's just a miracle."
At a special ceremony, Richmond Ambulance Authority recognized the EMS crews, Clouse for starting CPR, and Jenks for the life they helped save. American Heart Association leaders say 9 out of 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside a hospital don't survive. They hope Jenks' story changes that.
"Get certified. For the longest time, I had no idea what happened to [him], and it was really — I'm lucky that I got the closure to know that he's all right," Clouse said.
When you look at Jenks now, he's doing more than surviving. He's back on his bike, back on the bridge, and back to watching the sunrise.
"I ride across the Nickel Bridge watching the sunrise every morning. It's just gorgeous. I love that bridge. I was there yesterday morning, and I was in tears because I was just, oh my God, I'm alive, I'm on a bike!" Jenks said.
And as for Clouse — Jenks already has plans for him.
"He doesn't know it yet, but he's going on a beach trip with us," Jenks said.
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