In a time of terror and distress it is easy to understand someone choosing to worry about themselves and their family’s safety rather than immediately think of others, and that is often the course of action for some people. But there are still the select few that put themselves in harms way for the sole purpose of helping others, often complete strangers. Berkeley Johnson is one of those select few.
During the recent mudslides that have torn through southern California, Mr. Johnson and his wife found themselves scampering up the roof to avoid the heavy flow of boulders and mud, filling their home nearly eight feet up the staircase. After just seeing their home completely devastated in the blink of an eye, Berkeley did what we would all hope we would do, but few ever would, he looked to help others. After hearing cries from what sounded like a baby from down the street, Mr. Johnson jumped down from the safety of his roof, traversed the boulders and debris that just devastated their neighborhood and found himself digging in the mud, searching for the faint cry. After digging four feet down he was able to pull the baby to safety. He was able to clear the mud from his mouth and get it to the hospital. They didn’t know where the baby came from and there was nobody else around, but the right person was there.
It would have been so easy to assume the baby was just scared or that someone else would be there to help, but Berkeley Johnson did not assume, or think of himself, a selfless act to save a life certainly deserves some recognition.