Meet Dion Johnson: A hero who works among the team at Nutrien

Imagine seeing someone in need. Would you help them, or would you walk by? Dion Johnson, Loadout Supervisor at Nutrien’s Patience Lake Potash site, stopped to help and by doing so saved a man’s life.

Dion and his sons, Kris, Myles and Trae, were awaiting their tee time at The Legends Golf Course in Warman, Saskatchewan on May 15, when Kris noticed a man had collapsed on the putting green. He notified Dion, who approached the man.

“I asked if he was OK and if he needed help,” says Dion. The man replied, had gotten up and was walking away, but Dion knew he was unwell. “I sent my son, Myles, who is an employee at the course, to go get help from the clubhouse. As I attempted to get the man to sit down and wait for help to come, he collapsed on the green again.”

Dion started chest compressions. Brent Eikelenboom, the course’s golf pro, came to assist. Myles went back to the clubhouse to get the course’s automated external defibrillator (AED), and another man called for an ambulance. Dion and Brent followed the instructions on the AED for when to continue compressions and when to step back. This happened twice before the Warman Fire Department arrived on the scene.

Luckily, with the AED resource onsite and the roles that everyone played during the situation, the individual survived a very serious heart attack.

“One never thinks when taking CPR training at work, that you will ever be in the situation to use it,” says Dion. “I believe a person will always remember enough of what we are taught to make a difference, and the training and few years I spent on the Patience Lake Emergency Response Team made me jump into the moment and I played a big part in what needed to be done.”

The City of Warman and Warman Fire Rescue gratefully honored Dion, Myles and Brent with plaques for their heroic efforts on the golf course at a Commendation Ceremony at the end of June. “The recognition was not expected,” says Dion, “and the best part was shaking the hand of the gentleman we helped.”

Dion is a true safety leader and is proud to have brought Nutrien’s Culture of Care to life that day when he and his son demonstrated both Core Values of Safety and Integrity and led by example in their community.

“My family culture and what we have taught our kids is to help others, be kind and never be afraid to speak up or take action,” says Dion. “It was a team effort that brought a group of people together for a very positive outcome – and that is what community is all about.”