A heroic delivery

It's not every day a hero arrives on your doorstep, even before you are out of your pajamas. But on Tues., April 22, Deric Johnson, a 26-year-old service technician with Ventura-based Harris Water Conditioning Company, did just that.

On a routine service call in Camarillo he found an elderly gentleman who had fallen on his kitchen floor and cut his head. Deric's quick thinking and compassion saved the day and possibly the man's life.

Having been stationed for four years in the Channel Islands Harbor with the U.S. Coast Guard before he began working for Harris two years ago, Deric was experienced in life-saving techniques: first aid and CPR. He told me he keeps up his CPR certification because he feels it's important to do so. Today he used those skills and his calming words and ways to help a man living alone.

Lucky that the service call was scheduled for this morning!

As soon as Deric had checked the fall victim's pulse and breathing, he stopped the head wound from bleeding and calmed the man down, he dialed 911. Within three or four minutes an ambulance, two fire trucks, six or seven paramedics and firefighters arrived.

The gentleman's daughter lived a few doors down the street, heard the sirens and came out of her house to see what was going on. She learned only then that her dad had fallen.

Deric hated to think what would have happened if he had left the house without going in.

When he arrived, he saw German shepherds in the yard so called the customer first. When no one answered, he watched the dogs for a minute, but they wagged their tails and seemed friendly enough, so he proceeded to the front door. Again, no one answered his ring, but he could see into the kitchen through the window next to the front door- a man lying on the floor.

By then the dogs had gone around the house and through the doggie door in the garage and were circling and nudging their master, whimpering. Deric tried the door. It was unlocked. He found the 81-year-old man on his side, conscious but disoriented and trying his best to get up off the floor.

After the rescue workers and the man's daughter arrived, Deric proceeded to his next client's house, mine.

He appeared rather shaken and he told me this story while he worked on our water filter. He appeared very surprised when I told him that he was a hero, this man's guardian angel.

Deric told me he lives with his family, including his 14-month-old baby daughter, Eliza Rae, in their Nyeland Acres home between Camarillo and Oxnard. I told him this was an important day to tell his daughter about some day.

Judy Lucas
Camarillo