VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A distressing 911 call from an 8-year-old boy on Tuesday afternoon led to the arrest of a Volusia County man, who now faces charges of child endangerment. The boy reported that his father was unresponsive and couldn’t be awakened.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office reported that the young boy made the emergency call from their home in Edgewater. His father, identified as 44-year-old Daniel Johnson, was found unresponsive, suspected to have overdosed on drugs.
The sheriff’s office released the 911 call, capturing the child’s urgent plea for assistance.
During the call, the dispatcher inquired, “9-1-1, what is the address of your emergency?”
The boy responded, “My dad won’t wake up.”
When the dispatcher asked for his age, the child simply replied, “Eight.”
Sheriff Mike Chitwood said the situation was “unthinkable,” noting that Johnson had instructed his son earlier in the day to administer Narcan if he overdosed while using multiple illegal drugs.
In the call, the child tells the dispatcher he tried to follow those instructions.
“My dad told me to use the thing … if he didn’t wake up, and save him, but nothing happened,” he says.
Deputies say needles and other illicit drugs, including fentanyl and heroin, were found near Johnson before he was taken to a hospital and later booked into jail.
Chitwood said the case highlights the trauma the boy has endured, noting the child’s mother also died from a drug overdose.
“Dad trained him to be his eyes and ears if he overdosed,” Chitwood said. “Think about how sick and twisted that is.”
The sheriff added that members of his agency are working to do “something special” for the child as he recovers from the ordeal.
Court records show Johnson remains in custody on charges of child endangerment and possession of drug paraphernalia.
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