Three Lake County sheriff’s deputies are being recognized for saving the life of a 42-year-old man attempting suicide while they were attempting to serve an order of protection Friday morning.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 11:45 a.m. Friday to the 39300 block of Castleford Lane in Beach Park to serve an order of protection to a 42-year-old man at the residence.
Lake County Sheriff Spokesman Sgt. Christopher Covelli said that the man did not answer the door and sheriff’s deputies left the residence.
“After leaving, sheriff’s deputies learned yesterday was the second day in a row the man didn’t go to work. Sheriff’s deputies attempted to call the man via telephone, he didn’t answer, so they left a message explaining why they were previously at his residence,” Covelli said.
Around 45 minutes later, the man called back saying he was home and available to be served the order of protection. Lake County sheriff’s deputies Tom Flores and Brian Kilpatrick returned to the home around 1:10 p.m. and knocked on the door but received no answer.
“Two alert sheriff’s deputies noticed a vehicle running in the closed garage and they observed somebody was sitting in the vehicle unresponsive,” Covelli said.
Flores and Kilpatrick, along with a third sheriff’s deputy, Kyle Macko, forced entry to the garage and found the 42-year-old man breathing but unconscious inside the vehicle.
The three deputies removed the man from the carbon monoxide filled garage and carried him to safety. Paramedics transported the man to a local hospital where he is expected to recover and will receive mental health care.
“Our staff routinely go above and beyond during every interaction they have with the community, and this is another example,” Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said.
“Instead of simply leaving the residence after not receiving an answer at the door, they did some additional investigating and found this man actively attempting suicide. The three deputies sprang into action and undoubtedly saved his life,” Idleburg said.