FLINT (July 7, 2026) – The American Red Cross today honored Genesee County District Court Judge Herman Marable with a Lifesaving Award after he performed CPR during a business trip to New York last October, saving a man’s life.

Marable received the American Red Cross Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action Lifesaving Award, which recognizes individuals who step in during emergencies using lifesaving skills learned outside of Red Cross training. The Oct. 19, 2025 incident was the first time Marable had used CPR since learning the skill as a 12-year-old more than 50 years ago.

Marable came to the aid of a man who collapsed on a busy street in Brooklyn. With guidance from a 911 dispatcher, he performed chest compressions for several minutes until paramedics arrived and took over. The man was taken to the hospital and released the following day.

“You saved his life,” Marable recalled a paramedic telling him at the hospital.

“During an emergency, every second counts until medical help arrives,” Becky Gaskin, executive director of the Red Cross East Central Bay Chapter in Flint, said during an award presentation in Marable’s courtroom. “Judge Marable stepped up and performed lifesaving CPR to alleviate human suffering. His actions truly embody the mission and values of the American Red Cross.”

Marable, a district court judge for more than 25 years, described the incident as “frightening, emotional and scary at the same time.”

“I had never done this before. I’m glad I was there,” he said. “It wasn’t this man’s time to go.”

Marable was in New York attending a National Bar Association conference. After the conference ended, he drove to Brooklyn the next day hoping to meet up with a college friend. While trying to find a parking spot, he noticed a commotion on the street.

“This man was lying in the road and his friends were throwing water on him, shaking him, trying to get him to wake up,” Marable said. “He was lifeless.”

Marable later learned the man and his friends were from the country of Georgia.

He performed CPR for about four to five minutes before paramedics arrived and took over. Just before they arrived, the man began to regain consciousness.

Marable followed the ambulance to the hospital and later connected with the man via video call the next day.

“He looked very well, smiling and everything,” Marable said.

The Red Cross National Lifesaving Awards program, established in 1911, recognizes those who use lifesaving skills to save or sustain a life during emergencies. The program consists of three awards, the Certificate of Merit, the Lifesaving Award for Professional Responders, and the Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action.

Since 2018, the Red Cross has honored more than 3,600 individuals whose actions have helped save more than 1,800 lives worldwide.

For Marable, the experience has had a lasting impact. Combined with the loss of a close friend and mentor who suffered a heart attack while serving on the bench, it has inspired him to pursue CPR training at the courthouse.

Marable plans to offer CPR training for his staff and district court workforce in October to ensure more people are prepared to respond in emergencies. “I think this is a skill that everyone should have,” Marable said.

###

MEDIA CONTACT: Sydney Henry / sydney.henry@redcross.org / 313-439-4304

About the American Red Cross: 
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.