Easter miracle: Naples police save man with thoughts of suicide, mother says

A Naples mother is sending a big thank you to the officers who helped her son when he was having thoughts of suicide, and no one else would answer the call. We learned how these officers acted quickly and prevented a family tragedy.

Easter Sunday, Leah Lofano feared would be the day death defeated her son, Dan Drotovick.

“I didn’t think I could get to him on time,” Lofano explained. “He was suffering so bad. He was falling under.”

Lofano told us her Dan has battled depression for years, and had attempted suicide three different times in his life.

But she says Sunday was different.

“My son called me yesterday morning and said, ‘Mom, I’m not going to make it,’” Lofano said.

He asked for help, so Lofano called 911, and help arrived — four officers with Naples Police Department.

Dispatcher Nick Ware was the first officer to answer this emergency call.

“My son just barely made it,” Lofano said. “They were amazing how Nick was on the phone with the other officers just to keep it down low, not make a scene, and they went in and got my son who was barely hanging on, and they brought him right to the hospital.”

Six months ago, Drotovick had a much different experience with NPD. Holed up in a hotel room, he threatened to kill two officers who tried to remove him and said he had the guns to do it.

The department saved him that day too.

“When you’re depressed, you’re in the deep dark hole, and you’re helpless and hopeless, and you don’t want to live anymore. It’s so dark and so terrible.”

Lofano’s prayer now is her son gets the help he needs.

“He’s a fighter,” she said. “He didn’t want to die yesterday morning. He didn’t want to, but he was in a dark hole, and because he knows I love him so much, he hung onto me.”

Her Easter miracle was realized with an assist from Naples police.

“I’ve struggled, and I’ve cried a lot, but I have a lot of faith,” Lofano said.