‘Bravery’: Florida 8-Year-Old Used Narcan On Unconscious Dad, Who Is Now Facing Charges

Authorities in Florida are praising a young boy’s “bravery” after he used Narcan to save his father from a drug overdose, but lamenting the “tragic” circumstances that put him in that position.

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to an Edgewater home on Tuesday after an 8-year-old boy called 911 to report his father was unconscious. The boy administered Narcan, the brand name for naloxone, which reverses opioid overdoses.

Medics also responded to the scene and transported 44-year-old Daniel Johnson to the hospital. Johnson allegedly told deputies he had smoked heroin in the garage after he “instructed his son on what to do if something happened to him.”

Sheriff’ Mike Chitwood said the incident serves as “an example of the sad reality the effect drugs have in our community.”

After being treated, Johnson was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail on charges of child neglect, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and possession of drug paraphernalia.

“I want to commend the bravery of this young boy who, at just eight years old, was forced into a situation no child should ever have to face,” Chitwood said. “His courage undoubtedly saved his dads life, but its tragic that he has to experience such trauma at such a young age.”