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8-year-old boy uses Narcan to save father’s life, deputies say
An 8-year-old boy in Edgewater saved his father’s life this week after using Narcan to reverse a suspected heroin overdose, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies said the boy’s father, 44-year-old Daniel Johnson, had shown his son earlier in the day how to administer the medication "in case something happened."
EDGEWATER, Fla. - An 8-year-old Florida boy saved his father’s life this week after using Narcan to reverse a suspected heroin overdose, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the boy’s father, 44-year-old Daniel Johnson, had shown his son earlier in the day how to administer the medication "in case something happened."
The backstory:
Deputies responded to a home on Cory Drive in Edgewater around 2 p.m., where they found 44-year-old Daniel P. Johnson unconscious but breathing. Investigators said Johnson’s son called 911 and administered Narcan after his father had shown him earlier in the day how to use it "in case something happened."
Authorities said they found drug paraphernalia at the scene, including spoons, needles, and tin foil that later tested positive for fentanyl and heroin.
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Johnson reportedly admitted to smoking heroin in his garage, telling deputies he rarely used narcotics but had been in pain.
He was treated at AdventHealth Hospital before being booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail.
Narcan is the brand name for naloxone hydrochloride, a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose.
Representatives with the Volusia Recovery Alliance said Narcan is simple to use — administered nasally by inserting the device into the nostrils. "You would stick it in the nostrils, right until your fingertips hit the nostril and press the plunger," explained MIssy O'Brien, spokesperson for the Volusia Recovery Alliance . "And that's it. Everything they need is right there."
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"This is an example of the sad reality of the effect drugs have in our community," Sheriff Mike Chitwood said in a statement. "His courage undoubtedly saved his dad’s life, but it’s tragic that he had to experience such trauma at such a young age."
What's next:
Johnson was taken to the Volusia County Jail and held on a $9,000 bond, charged with child neglect, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and possession of drug paraphernalia. His son is now in the custody of his grandmother.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.