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Deputy Megan Johnson honored with lifesaving award after chest injury rescue
Summary
Sheriff and commissioners presented a lifesaving award to Deputy Megan Johnson for emergency medical actions after a man was accidentally shot in the chest with a nail gun; officials said her interventions stabilized the patient for transport and surgery.
Sheriff Anthony Lowry presented a lifesaving award to Deputy Megan Johnson at the Baldwin County Commission meeting on May 6, 2025, recognizing her for emergency medical actions that county officials said saved a citizen’s life.
According to the sheriff’s account read into the record, Deputy Johnson responded to a call involving a man who had been accidentally shot in the chest with a nail gun; the nail entered the thoracic cavity and struck the heart and lung. The sheriff said Johnson, drawing on prior experience as a combat medic and emergency-room nurse, assessed the victim, administered life-saving first aid and applied a chest seal that prevented additional air and blood from filling the chest cavity. Those measures stabilized the patient until he could be flown to a medical center for surgery. The sheriff told the commission the victim underwent surgery and was expected to survive.
"Due to Deputy Johnson's swift response and action, she saved the life of this victim," Sheriff Anthony Lowry said while presenting the award.
Commissioners praised the deputy and noted the value of tactical medical training provided to deputies. One commissioner said the award shows an additional side of policing that the public often does not see. No formal vote was required to present the lifesaving award; it was presented as a recognition item during the presentations segment.
