Paul Marchese Jr., a carrier technician from Bowling Green, KY, was on vacation last summer in Panama City Beach, FL, when a crisis erupted:
A swimmer in the Gulf of Mexico had become trapped in a riptide and was signaling desperately for help.
Marchese, a trained emergency rescuer, sprang into action, safely retrieving the woman before she drowned.
“I’m just glad I was within reach of her,” he later told the Bowling Green Daily News. “I’m thankful I was able to provide a service. Any good Samaritan would’ve done the same thing I did.”
It had been a dangerous day at the beach, the newspaper reported, with multiple rescues and one fatality attributed to strong Gulf currents.
“Paul is an example of our excellent employees,” said local Postmaster Kristina Corbin. “He is humble, with a servant spirit for his customers, co-workers and community.”