IDAHO — Idaho Fish and Game Conservation Officer Chris Johnson has received an American Red Cross lifesaving award after the agency said he and U.S. Forest Service Officer Branden Smith used CPR and Narcan to restore a man's breathing during a remote campsite emergency.
Idaho Fish and Game announced the recognition July 22, describing the officers' response to an Aug. 10, 2025, medical crisis. The agency published an official photo showing Smith and Johnson with American Red Cross awards.
Medical emergency followed an arrest at a campsite
According to the agency, Smith contacted a person who was living in the forest in violation of regulations. A check with county dispatch showed an outstanding U.S. Marshals Service warrant, and Smith took the person into custody and secured him in a patrol vehicle while speaking with family members at the campsite.
Johnson arrived a short time later to assist. When Smith returned to the patrol vehicle, the person was turning blue and was not breathing, Idaho Fish and Game said.
Officers began CPR and administered Narcan
The officers removed the man from the vehicle and immediately began lifesaving care. The agency said Johnson retrieved Narcan and a CPR mask while Smith continued the response.
Smith and Johnson administered multiple doses of Narcan while continuing CPR for several minutes, according to the official account. The man's breathing returned, and a medical helicopter transported him to a hospital, where the agency said he recovered.
The public release does not identify the man, the campsite or a specific medical diagnosis. ThinBlueNews is preserving those privacy boundaries and is not making any claim beyond the agency's account of the emergency and treatment.
Idaho Fish and Game credits training and teamwork
Idaho Fish and Game credited the officers' training, quick thinking and teamwork with saving the man's life. The agency specifically congratulated Johnson for receiving the American Red Cross Life Saving Award while also documenting Smith's role throughout the emergency.
The response is an example of how law-enforcement officers serving on public lands can move quickly from enforcement duties to emergency medical care. In this case, the same dispatch check that confirmed a warrant was followed by CPR, overdose-reversal medication and an air-medical handoff.
Readers can find more verified public-safety work in ThinBlueNews' officer recognition, police hero stories, first responder news and positive police news coverage.
Sources and visual attribution
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game: “Conservation Officer Chris Johnson receives American Red Cross Life Saving Award,” published July 22, 2026. The official release identifies Johnson and Smith, describes the Aug. 10 response and hospital recovery, and publishes the recognition photo used above.
- KBOI/CBS2: “Idaho conservation officer earns Red Cross award for lifesaving actions in 2025 incident,” published July 22, 2026. The local report independently carried the agency's account and photo attribution.
Featured-image note: This is the real award photo published by Idaho Fish and Game, not an AI-generated or representative incident image. It shows Officers Smith and Johnson after the event; it does not depict the campsite emergency.
Video note: The official release and local report document a recognition and medical response but do not publish body-camera, dashcam, rescue or briefing footage material to the story. No video embed is required or represented here.
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