We all make countless decisions every single day.
Prison inmate Marco Sanchez is being rewarded for a series of selfless decisions he made back in December. When a deadly tornado ripped through Kentucky, Marco happened to be on work detail at the MCP candle factory in Mayfield. The factory became engulfed in flames very quickly, trapping hundreds inside.
Marco himself was trapped in the rubble. Though he suffered a broken leg and several cracked ribs when the building collapsed, as he crawled out of an opening he found in the wreckage, he could have easily made his way to safety without a backward glance. But he didn’t.
Instead, Marco managed to find some tools, then he went back into the collapsed building to help others get free, too. Authorities say many victims were found dead just feet away from where Marco had been trapped.
Once he’d gotten as many people out as he could, he got a ride to the hospital with a firefighter. He spent a few hours getting care for his injuries. That’s when Marco was called upon to make another decision – he saw a state trooper in the hospital and tried to turn himself in. The cop was so overwhelmed by the tornado response that he just told Marco, “do the right thing.”
The inmate then found out the jail had been destroyed by the tornado, so he contacted prison staff himself!
In a statement Graves County Sheriff’s Office shared on Facebook, they state they’d been hearing a lot of rumors about an inmate who had saved lives at the factory. They took some time investigating, and when they discovered it was Marco they awarded him with the Sheriff’s Meritorious Award!
“Mr. Sanchez had a lot of decisions to make that night,” they wrote. “He could have made the decision to only save himself, but he didn’t. His actions likely resulted in other lives being saved. The series of decisions he made over the next several hours were the right decisions and we applaud you for that sir.”
The statement also asked the public to help Marco find work and a place to live once he’s released in early March. The public immediately stepped up and sent donations to help this selfless hero get back on his feet!
Marco has proven himself to be an upstanding citizen. We commend him for his bravery at the factory that night, and we’re proud of him for paying his debt to society in such an upstanding manner!
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