GRAVES COUNTY, Ky. – An inmate in Kentucky who pulled people from the rubble of a collapsed candle factory in December was honored by the Graves County Sheriff’s Office last week for going “above and beyond” to help people in duress, according to reports.
Sheriff Jon Hayden awarded the “Sheriff’s Meritorious Award” on Tuesday to Marco Sanchez. He is an inmate who worked at a candle factory in Mayfield, Ky, late last year as part of a work release program, the law enforcement agency said on Facebook.
The tornado leveled the Mayfield candle factory on December 10. Dozens of people were buried in the rubble, while eight did not survive, The Citizens reported.
Graves County Deputy Jailer Robert Daniel was among those killed at the building while supervising seven inmates working at the location, according to ODMP.
Sanchez was injured in the collapse yet managed to crawl to safety. Moreover, he returned to help others, the sheriff said.
“Mr. Sanchez, after freeing himself, with a broken leg and cracked ribs, unselfishly went and found tools and other items and returned and reentered the rubble and render(ed) aid to those injured and freed several others, quite possibly saving human lives,” Sheriff Hayden said.
Hayden also praised Sanchez for not trying to flee or evade captors in the hours following the calamity.
After helping to free others, Sanchez got a ride to the emergency room to be treated for his injuries, the sheriff said.
While at the medical facility, Sanchez identified himself as an inmate to a state trooper and said he needed to turn himself in. However, the trooper was dealing with more pressing concerns and was not in a position to help him, according to the sheriff.
As a result, the prison inmate took a shuttle bus to a shelter and subsequently learned the jail had also been destroyed during the series of powerful tornadoes. Finally, he was put into contact with jail staff who took him back into custody, Hayden said, according to The Citizens.
“Mr. Sanchez had a lot of decisions to make that night,” the sheriff said. “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.”
During an interview with WKYT, Sanchez said he started looking for survivors after he made it to safety.
“There was a girl there trapped, and she was crying, ‘Help me, I’m trapped.’ She didn’t know I was there,” he said. “Every decision I made at that moment, I don’t have experience on rescuing or anything. I just used common sense.”
Hayden told Sanchez’s sentencing judge about the heroic actions during a court hearing two weeks ago. As a result, the judge determined Sanchez only had 14 days left to serve and offered early release but Sanchez chose to complete his sentence instead.
“I thought because of what I did that led me to incarceration, it was something that I did, and I deserve to do the time,” Sanchez told WKYT.
Sanchez will be released March 1 after serving a year for stealing a phone. He will be looking for a job and a place to live, Hayden said in the Facebook post.
“We hope someone will take a chance on him and give him an opportunity to start a new life,” the sheriff said. “He is a hard worker, as he has been assisting county government in moving offices since the tornado, and he is a very humble man. We wish him the best and applaud him for his sense of humanity.”
Sanchez was one of seven prisoners working at the candle factory as part of a work-release program for low-security low-level offenders. Three of the prisoners were treated for injuries.
Law Officer previously reported on one of the inmates who reportedly fled following the devastation, but later surrendered to authorities.
