story1719.xml
Title
story1719.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-04
911DA Story: Story
I came in to the city as usually on the Staten Island ferry. Usually on nice days I would walk to the office on the 30th floor at 1WTC but that day I decided to take the train, a decision that may have saved my life. I went up to the cafeteria and was just about ready to head back to the elevators when I heard, and felt, a loud explosion. I would never have guessed that the building could sway as must as it did.
My first instinct was to head to the elevators but thought better of it and headed right to the stairwell. When I opened the door, the stairwell was already full of people. After going down a few floors, I called my wife. I told her that something hit the building and that she should watch the news. She called back some minutes later and said that a plane had hit the tower. It was some time later, around the ninth floor, that I called her again to say I was almost out. I didn't talk to her again until I got home. That fact that no one exactly knew what was going on saved thousands of additional lives because of the lack of panic at that time.
When we got out of the stairwell, we were told to go over the walkway to the Winter Garden. I found most of the people I worked with by the marina. After getting my boss, we headed up to City Hall because my brother worked on Broadway and I was worried about him. On the way to City Hall, I saw the damage on the second tower and found out that this was a terrorist attack.
After leaving my boss, I headed down to the ferry terminal. While walking down to the terminal, I found out about the attack on the Pentagon. It was while I was there that the towers fell. I was able to get onto a boat going to Staten Island. It was while I was on the boat that I was finally able to get someone, my sister-in-law, on my cell phone.
When I got home, I saw my wife and daughter, spoke to my parents and found out my brother was OK. That night it hit me, what had happened, when I heard the number of fireman who had died. The night of the candle-light vigil, I lost it totally.
I will never forget the explosion when the plane hit the tower, I will never forget the fireman I saw walking up the stairs while I was getting out of Tower 1, I will never forget the bodies I saw falling when I was out by the marina, I will never forget the sound I heard when the buildings feel, I will never forget the people on the ferry all wearing life jackets, I will never forget the man who gave me a tissue to cover my face from the falling debris, I will never forget my mother crying on the phone when I spoke to her after I got home, I will never forget the five co-worker I lost that day.
I hope that we never forget what happened that day because if we do, it will surely happen again.
My first instinct was to head to the elevators but thought better of it and headed right to the stairwell. When I opened the door, the stairwell was already full of people. After going down a few floors, I called my wife. I told her that something hit the building and that she should watch the news. She called back some minutes later and said that a plane had hit the tower. It was some time later, around the ninth floor, that I called her again to say I was almost out. I didn't talk to her again until I got home. That fact that no one exactly knew what was going on saved thousands of additional lives because of the lack of panic at that time.
When we got out of the stairwell, we were told to go over the walkway to the Winter Garden. I found most of the people I worked with by the marina. After getting my boss, we headed up to City Hall because my brother worked on Broadway and I was worried about him. On the way to City Hall, I saw the damage on the second tower and found out that this was a terrorist attack.
After leaving my boss, I headed down to the ferry terminal. While walking down to the terminal, I found out about the attack on the Pentagon. It was while I was there that the towers fell. I was able to get onto a boat going to Staten Island. It was while I was on the boat that I was finally able to get someone, my sister-in-law, on my cell phone.
When I got home, I saw my wife and daughter, spoke to my parents and found out my brother was OK. That night it hit me, what had happened, when I heard the number of fireman who had died. The night of the candle-light vigil, I lost it totally.
I will never forget the explosion when the plane hit the tower, I will never forget the fireman I saw walking up the stairs while I was getting out of Tower 1, I will never forget the bodies I saw falling when I was out by the marina, I will never forget the sound I heard when the buildings feel, I will never forget the people on the ferry all wearing life jackets, I will never forget the man who gave me a tissue to cover my face from the falling debris, I will never forget my mother crying on the phone when I spoke to her after I got home, I will never forget the five co-worker I lost that day.
I hope that we never forget what happened that day because if we do, it will surely happen again.
Collection
Citation
“story1719.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 21, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/7608.