The AED Was There. The Pads Would Not Stick.
Ameer Chambers was 15 and on his first day with the Tabb High School varsity football team in Yorktown, Virginia, in July 2025 when he collapsed after running sprints. He survived because the people around him moved fast. His rescue also hit a snag that could happen at any workplace.
According to American Heart Association News, two teammates first thought he had overheated and called for water. Athletic trainer Jeff Wiseman recognized sudden cardiac arrest and started CPR, a coach sprinted to the fire station next door, and someone brought the AED from behind a goalpost. Ameer was so sweaty that the pads would not stick to his chest. When the fire chief arrived, his pads stuck, and two shocks brought back a stable pulse.
Now 16, Ameer has been sharing his story to encourage people to learn CPR, including in a 13News Now report on the Peninsula Heart Walk published October 31, 2026.
Two lessons for any workplace
A collapse is not always a faint. Someone who drops after exertion, or for no clear reason, can look like they fainted or overheated. If the person does not respond and is not breathing normally, or is only gasping, treat it as cardiac arrest: call 911, start compressions and send someone for the AED.
A wet chest can stop an AED. Pads need dry skin to stick. Sweat, rain, a spill or a shower area can all get in the way, and so can heavy chest hair. Wipe the chest dry before placing the pads. Keep a small towel, a razor and a spare set of pads with your AED, and check the pad expiration date whenever you check the battery.
These are the details people pick up by handling a trainer AED in class, not by reading the instructions for the first time during an emergency.
Full Code CPR teaches American Heart Association Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED and BLS on-site for teams across the Portland metro area. Request a group quote and we will email your pricing.
Sources: American Heart Association News, “After cardiac arrest and CPR, football player eyes a comeback,” August 28, 2026; 13News Now, “Peninsula Heart Walk highlights how knowing CPR can help save lives after cardiac arrest,” October 31, 2026.
