JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Officer Obbie Johnson has been named the Florida Sheriffs Association’s 2026 Corrections Officer of the Year after the association said he left a secure facility perimeter, entered Hogans Creek and helped revive a woman found face down in the water.
The Florida Sheriffs Association announced the honor on Jan. 26, saying Johnson was alerted during evening meal service on May 1, 2025, after an inmate reported seeing a woman jump from the Duval Street Bridge into Hogans Creek.
According to FSA, Johnson notified his supervisor, searched outside the secure compound and located the woman floating face down. The association said he removed his duty belt and jacket, entered chest-deep water, pulled her to the opposite bank and worked up a steep, muddy embankment.
CPR until rescue personnel arrived
FSA said Johnson found the woman unresponsive, not breathing and without a pulse. He began chest compressions and continued lifesaving efforts for at least 10 minutes while rescue personnel worked to reach the remote location, the association reported.
The association said Johnson resumed CPR each time the woman stopped breathing and ultimately restored her responsiveness and breathing before emergency medical personnel arrived and transported her to UF Health Hospital.
“He did not wait, he did not hesitate, and he did not act for recognition,” FSA President and Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said in the association’s release. “He acted because people in peril are counting on someone to step forward.”
Corrections officer recognized before peers
The award was presented during the FSA Sheriffs 2026 Winter Conference. FSA said the Corrections Officer of the Year honor recognizes an officer who has demonstrated courage, commitment and sacrifice in the line of duty.
For Support Law Enforcement readers, the case is a reminder that corrections officers may be called to act far beyond a housing unit or control room. In Johnson’s case, the public report describes a fast decision at the edge of a creek, hands-on rescue work and repeated CPR before medics could reach the scene.
Sources reviewed
- Florida Sheriffs Association: Jacksonville Officer Honored as the Florida Sheriffs Association 2026 Corrections Officer of the Year
- Florida Sheriffs Association official award video
Editorial note: ThinBlueNews is limiting victim details and using only the publicly released official association account. The featured image is a real FSA award-presentation photo; no AI-generated rescue scene was used.