Richmond runner survives cardiac arrest thanks to a construction worker's quick thinking

RICHMOND, Va. — For nearly eight years, Sam Jones laced up his shoes and hit the pavement almost every single day.

"From about 2016 to 2024 I had runs every day for about eight years," Jones said. "Usually more than one mile a day."

Running, he says, is central to who he is.

"Yeah, it's a pretty big part of my whole deal, I guess," he said.

Jones has pushed himself to serious distances — up to 50 miles at a stretch. But on an April morning in 2024, the day after his 33rd birthday, a routine group run through Richmond's Fan neighborhood nearly became his last.

A Morning Run Turns Critical

Jones had driven to Sugar and Twine in the Fan to meet up with his running group. He stayed toward the back, planning a shorter distance that day — about a mile.

He never finished it.

"We were about to go across the street, and I said hold on a second, and then I collapsed," Jones recalled. "I just fell straight on the ground."

Jones had suffered cardiac arrest.

"Basically, my heart stopped and when that happens you can't do anything, you go unconscious," he said.

His running partner called 911. But Jones was unconscious and unable to help himself — his survival depending entirely on what happened next.

Help From an Unexpected Place

Just around the corner, a construction crew was in the middle of restoring Fox Elementary School. Jacob Dyer, the site superintendent for Gulf Seaboard, was making his rounds when something stopped him.

"I turn the corner and I see Sam on the ground not moving," Dyer said. "I just told myself, 'Something is not right.'"

Dyer immediately began performing CPR.

"The whole time we were doing CPR he was just not responding or anything like that," Dyer said, "but once the AED showed up, they put that on him, and it was in no time he was back conscious."

Jones says those compressions were critical.

"If there is no CPR applied and you have a cardiac arrest and you have a spontaneous cardiac arrest out in the world then your chances of survival are about 10%," Jones said.

Why This Story Matters Beyond One Reunion

Friday is World Restart a Heart Day, a global initiative to raise awareness about the importance of bystander CPR.

Cardiac arrest is among the leading causes of death globally.

According to the American Heart Association, fewer than half of cardiac arrest victims receive CPR from bystanders before emergency responders arrive. The organization works to teach people across professions — including construction workers — and children as young as nine years old how to perform the life-saving skill.

A Lasting Impact on Both Men

The encounter changed Dyer and Jones in lasting ways.

"I think we even bought our AED's right after that," Dyer said.

Jones says the people around him responded, too.

"A lot of folks really took it upon themselves to learn what to do and get that training," he said. "I'm definitely CPR-certified now."

Today, Jones carries an implanted defibrillator — a device that monitors his heart and can restore its rhythm if needed.

He doesn't remember much about the moments he was unconscious in front of Fox Elementary. But he hasn't forgotten the stranger who gave him more time.

"It's just great to have that network of people who know what to do," Jones said.

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