Two weeks ago Louis Mamakos’s wife caught him trying to kill himself with a gun. He’d told his wife he loved her and walked into a bedroom. She walked in on him and found a gun under a pillow, and managed to talk him into handing her the firearm.
Paramedics were dispatched to the Boxwood Lane home in Palm Coast, helping Mamakos’s wife secure the firearm and taking her husband to AdventHealth Palm Coast. There, Mamakos, 85, told a deputy that he’d been suffering intolerable back pain and couldn’t live with it anymore.
Mamakos was Baker Acted at a mental health facility in Daytona Beach.
His wife, the sheriff’s report states, ” was very hesitant when asked if she would voluntarily turn over Louis’s firearms for safekeeping. She advised she would think about turning them over for safekeeping until her son could retrieve them.” She would have deputies meet her at the house “if she decides to turn them in when she leaves the Hospital.” But she eventually turned over the gun in question.
It is also in law enforcement’s authority to seize firearms for safekeeping in certain circumstances, but the legal process can be laborious.
Mamakos returned home on Jan. 18, four days after he was Baker Acted. On Monday in late morning, he shot and killed himself with a gun, the sheriff’s office reports.
Mamakos was still breathing when deputies arrived, but he died soon afterward. Fire County Fire Flight, the emergency helicopter, launched when he was still critical, but he went into cardiac arrest and died before the helicopter got there.
A deputy asked Mamakos’s wife if the gun that had been turned over for safekeeping had been retrieved from the sheriff’s office. She said no. She and her son said they didn’t know there was another gun in the house.
His wife and son told deputies that Mamakos “was still suffering from extreme pain and doctors had still been unable to get his pain to a manageable/tolerable level” by the time he returned home, the incident report states. Neither thought he “would ever take this type of action.” Just before the gunshot, his son had checked on him and Mamakos told him he did not need help. His son went back to the living room, where they’d all been watching television. They then heard a loud bang coming from the bedroom. His son thought Mamakos had fallen.
Five days earlier in Palm Coast, a 25-year-old Realtor who’d also struggled through excruciating pain in recent years, took his life, in a county where suicide has vaulted near the top of concerns for some local officials and social service agencies, because of its proportional frequency.
The following resources are available for individuals in crisis:
In Flagler: The Crisis Triage and Treatment Unit (CTTU) is a crisis assessment and referral service for Flagler County residents experiencing behavioral health crisis. It is located at 301 Justice Lane in the Brown & Brown Outpatient building at the Vince Carter Sanctuary in Bunnell. This program is limited to individuals escorted to the program by law enforcement between the hours of noon and midnight daily. Law enforcement is able to transport individuals to SMA to assess and determine the appropriate clinical disposition. When required and appropriate, SMA then transports the individual to a receiving facility in Volusia County.
In Daytona Beach: Stewart-Marchman Act Corporation Crisis Center
1220 Willis Avenue
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Crisis Line: (800) 539 – 4228
Available 24 hours.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 800/273-8255 (TALK).
If you are concerned for someone else, read about warning signs here. For additional resources, see the Speaking of Suicide website.
Carol says
This is so sad, another suicide. Sending my heartfelt sympathy to his wife, son & family. May they find strength in God to help them through this.
Tim says
To the editor of this site, I myself have been baker acted due to suicidal thoughts arising from PTSD. You always post about Stewart Marchman. They are no help. You are treated like crap from the second you walk through the doors till the second you leave. Don’t believe me post a survey and see what others have to say. As far as the national suicide hotline goes, well might as well call 911 and tell them you want to kill yourself because they’re going to ping your phone and send deputies to wherever you may be to do just that.
next election says
Thank the state. The people that need pain medication cant get it now because the new law. It’s about quality of life for some. RIP I feel your pain
Lou says
This gentleman should have had the opportunity to exit this life with more dignity.
Judy cain says
Maybe Florida needs to allow Doctors to assist people with pain, rather than treat everyone like an addict. People do suffer with real pain, and after awhile it wears you down. Dirty Doctors that allowed greed to rule them addicts & pushers were allowed to abuse pain meds, rather than deal with them, they punished every citizen in Florida. If a person is in pain Doctors should be allowed to offer that person relief. They have sentenced innocent people to a life of torment because they wanted an easy fix, and wanted to look like they were finally doing something with the abusers. Elderly people HAVE PAIN, for gosh sake, this man would be alive today if his doctor had treated him and given him relief.
Richard says
I have read so many of these tragic situations in FlaglerLive that it makes me wonder if anyone of these people really used any of the resources published in these suicide articles? I had to ask the question as it appears to me that these resources go underutilized by the VERY people who really need them. Way TOO many suicides by all ages of Flagler County residents that something serious needs to be done SOON instead of just publishing resources which people who are bent on killing themselves will not use.
At least Louis is now pain free. May he enjoy his afterlife and his survivors have peace & comfort in that fact.
Anonymous says
Excruciating pain is a common reason for suicide, but it’s not really a mental health issue. Talking to a psychotherapist or taking psych drugs is not going to make their pain go away. It’s like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. It’s a conundrum.
blessed says
He was taken to a facility in Brooksville, Fl. (3hrs from home). He walked in and 4 days later he had to be taken out in a wheel chair.They did not give him any meds the first 2 days and then only half his meds the remainder of the time he was there. He never got any of his pain medication. His wife felt he would never get over his stay there. No place to send a man with medical problems. They let him sign himself out. They even admitted it was not a place to treat medical problems…shame on Advent Health for sending him there.
Buylocal says
If his pain Dr. is reading this I’m would be curious to know what he or she is thinking. Maybe my patients deserve better and everybody is not a drug seeker but actually need relief from chronic pain. How about maybe my industry created the opioid crisis and good people who suffer are the one paying.
Oh by the way, let’s cut them off if they try alternative methods like medical Marijuana.
Bsmith says
Yes constant pain can cause depression…but when the pain reduces your quality of life…and you have nothing else that gives you joy..then suicide may Seem to be the only solution. It’s sad that no one wasn’t able to help this man. Praying for family
Betty says
So sad to hear this.. prayers to his family..I know the effects of being in excruciating pain day after day, I had major back surgery in 2015 and still today I am dealing with pain and unable to get meds due to new laws that and fact that Drs charge an arm and a leg to see them nowadays! My husband works full time and has paid thousands of dollars in the last year for insurance and I still can’t go to see Dr due to having a balance of previous visits! I don’t understand it! How can someone pay out 11 thousand in insurance and still have to pay 150 to see a Dr! It’s frustrating and causes mental anxiety and stress gets to us … I just wish these fools making these laws see that some of us really do need the meds to handle pain not to abuse and get high!!
fb367 says
My husband begged me to kill him when he was dying of cancer. No medication helped with his pain. If he could have gotten to a gun, I’m sure he would have committed suicide. It is a horrible thing to experience and to witness.