VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A distressing 911 call from an 8-year-old boy led to the arrest of a man in Volusia County on child endangerment charges. The incident unfolded on Tuesday afternoon when the boy, clearly frightened, reported that his father was unresponsive.

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office detailed that the child placed an emergency call from their home in Edgewater. His father, identified as 44-year-old Daniel Johnson, appeared to have overdosed on drugs, rendering him unresponsive.

Authorities released the 911 call, capturing the young boy’s anxious plea for assistance. The recording begins with the dispatcher asking, “9-1-1, what is the address of your emergency?”

In a worried tone, the boy responds, “My dad won’t wake up.”

“My dad won’t wake up,” the boy replies.

When asked his age, he answers, “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.