When Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Deputy Morgan Johnson arrived at the scene, the woman was barely conscious with restricted breathing after being stung by a bee.

Dispatched just 90 seconds earlier on that Saturday afternoon, what Johnson did next saved the woman’s life, said Pend Oreille County Sheriff Alan Botzheim. Last week, Johnson was recognized by the sheriff’s office for his actions.

When Johnson arrived at the scene of the medical emergency, near miilepost 400 on State Route 20 on Aug. 4, 2018, he found the adult female in the midst of a severe reaction to a bee sting. She was barely conscious and her breathing was restricted. The deputy immediately relayed the information to Dispatch to alert responding medical crews.

As Johnson waited for medical units to arrive and was monitoring the victime, he noticed she had stopped breathing and was no longer responsive.

“Deputy Johnson immediately began administering CPR in an effort to save her life,” Brotzheim said in the press release. “The victim responded to CPR and revived for a short period of time before she stopped breathing again. Deputy Johnson once again administered CPR and the victim again began to breathe on her own for a short period of time before she again stopped breathing.”

It was a cycle that would continue for the next 20 minutes or so. Each time the woman stopped breathing, Johnson would administer CPR, on and off as needed to sustain life.

When medical units arrived, they eventually took over patient care and the victim was ultimately sent via Life Flight to a Spokane area hospital for continued treatment. She has since fully recovered.

“Deputy Johnson, by his selfless dedication to duty, and demonstration of exceptional courage, is a credit to his profession and to the Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office and that in saving a human life his actions are in keeping with the highest ideals of law enforcement and public safety,” Brotzheim said.