Archives: Heroism in Elbow Park

By John H

In the mid 1950’s, long time Elbow Park resident John Heffer was witness to two separate acts of life-saving heroism in Elbow Park: 

In December 1954 I remember walking home from school along Wood's Park with my buddies, when we saw smoke pouring out of a house across Elbow Drive. We wondered how to get help, because nobody had a cell phone! (Was there even 911?). Then the face of an elderly woman appeared in the upstairs window, and the bravest of us, quick-thinking David Johnson, ran across the street and entered the house, where he managed to save one little boy and help with the evacuation of the other residents.

Then again, as a boy of 13 in August 1955, I remember walking along the Elbow River pathway right by the historic home of Freddie Lowes, and arriving at a scene of great drama and possible tragedy. Jim Rogan was resuscitating a boy, Dale Scully, who was close to death from drowning in the river. I remember Jim's name because he worked with my father, Arthur Heffer, at the Bank of Commerce in Calgary. Back in June 2018 I wondered if the story was in the Calgary Herald archives, so I looked Jim up on the internet and found out that he had passed away just two months before, in Winnipeg. His obituary made no mention of his heroism so I searched for, and then attached the Herald article about the event to his obituary for the benefit of his family, who were thrilled to know the story.  

In December 1954, 13-year-old David Johnson (944 38 Ave SW) carried a 3-year-old out of a burning house on 3213 Elbow Drive. Click here for full story… 

In August 1955, Alfred Petzold* (4010 Elbow Dr). Jim P. Rogan (1415 2 St SW) and James Little (226 25 Ave SW), pulled a drowning 12-year-old out of the water at the Elbow Park swimming hole and resuscitated the blue, unconscious boy until the fire department arrived to finish the job. Click here for full story…

*“Fun” Fact – Alfred Petzold may have committed murder 18 years later in Hamilton.