Good Samaritans rescue injured Lynchburg man from hiking trail

The group carried him two miles back to the car

LYNCHBURG, Va. – A group of Good Samaritans’ quick and kind actions led to a Lynchburg man’s rescue over the weekend when he got hurt on a hiking trail.

Running is still somewhat of a new hobby for Adam Bonney, but it’s one he’s gotten pretty good at doing.

“I started running,” Bonney says. “I ran a mile, then I ran two, and it’s something I’m really into now.”

He’s spent the last several months training for the Richmond Marathon in November.

“This Saturday was one of my big 10-mile training runs,” he said.

At least, it was supposed to be. Bonney way just two miles in on the Blackwater Creek Trail in Lynchburg.

“My pre-workout was kicking in, my heart rate was up, I had my dateline podcast going,” he says. “I was in the zone.”

Bonney was on a downhill, single-track trail when he lost his balance. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground.

“It looked like my ankle gave birth to a softball.”

He wasn’t going to be able to make it back to the car, let alone finish his fun. It was then a group of total strangers, five women and one man, approached him on the trail.

“They saw I was in pain. They saw my ankle and they jumped into action.”

The group of six put Bonney wouldn’t take no for an answer. They put Bonney on their backs, carrying him two miles back to the car where they sat with him until his wife arrived.

For now, Bonney is rocking some new hardware (a boot). He should find out what the damage is by the end of the week, although his doctor suspects it’s just a sprain.

Fingers crossed he’ll get to compete in Richmond. Either way, Bonney says he’s glad to know he has some new running friends waiting for him right at home.


About the Author:

Kortney joined the 10 News team as a Lynchburg Bureau Reporter in May 2021.