Riverhead, NY- Suffolk County Legislators Bridget Fleming and Al Krupski were proud to present Marine Sgt. Marcus Santana, of Flanders, with a joint Proclamation to express admiration and gratitude for his heroic off-duty life-saving actions in November of 2020. The Legislators had recognized Sgt. Santana during the virtual March 2, 2021 General Meeting of the Legislature and were delighted at the opportunity to thank him in-person outside of the Marines Corps Career Center on East Main Street in Riverhead with the Proclamation on April 8.
“I am thrilled to present this joint Proclamation, along with Legislator Al Krupski, to Sgt. Marcus Santana for his swift and selfless action to aid a senior. His dedication to his country and community are truly admirable,” stated Legislator Fleming.
“I am grateful to Sgt. Marcus for his selflessness and compassion, for navigating a potentially dangerous situation to come to the aid of another person. I hope his actions will inspire others to take action when they come cross someone in need of help,” said Legislator Krupski
“As a United States Marine, it is engraved in our hearts to always do the right thing even when no one is looking. That being said we as a community need to never turn a blind eye to a fellow brother or sister in need,” reflected Sgt. Marcus Santana.
On his November 9 commute, Sgt. Santana, a recruiter in the office of the US Marines on Main Street in Riverhead, witnessed an elderly woman collapse in the middle of a crosswalk in her attempt to pass through the Riverside traffic circle. His training in emergency response gave Sgt. Santana the tools to respond with swift and careful action—he put his truck in park, felt for a pulse, and directed a bystander to call 911. He then began to perform CPR and after a few minutes, the woman became responsive. Sgt. Santana ensured that the woman stayed in place until equipped emergency responders could make it to the scene. He later learned the identity of the woman and was relieved to learn that she made a full recovery.
Sgt. Santana is a graduate of Riverhead High School, Class of 2012. He currently lives in Flanders and is the proud father of a 6-year-old boy.