Just as Bouchat exited the south tower, another plane slammed into it. At the Pentagon, an average of 23,000 individuals are in the building at any given timemeaning it had a statistically much higher rate of survival than the WTC did upon impact. When he finally emerged on the ground floor he was blocked from exiting the building by firefighters who said it was too dangerous because of falling debris and the bodies of those who jumped. ", WATCH: Joe Dittmar describe how it felt when the second plane hit the South Tower, just a few floors above him. After the two men had made it outside and walked two blocks away from the South Tower, they stopped and looked back at the building they had just exited, and Praimnath said to Clark, "You know, I think that building can come down." Mr Clark and Mr Praimnath headed the other way, beginning the long journey down 80 floors to the bottom. He came to my daughters wedding and I went to his. When I saw that I was trapped, I started yelling for help.. He had no idea that was the only staircase that hadnt been destroyed. Crown suffered lacerations and a broken leg, but was able to get to a stairwell, and run down the remaining 78 floors. Just then the second plane his tower. The hellish aftermath of Ground Zero, 'Never felt anything like that in my life'. But a work opportunity pulled them back to San Francisco in 2009. Six excruciating hours after the lights had flickered in that morning meeting, Dittmar was finally able to phone his family and tell them he'd escaped. Desiree Bouchat pauses by one of the inscribed names on the 9/11 memorial: James Patrick Berger. As the clock edged towards 9.59am, when the South Tower would crumble and fall, Dittmar and his friend finally climbed an escalator and rose above ground. While a myriad of businesses called the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center home, insurance companies were particularly hard hit with Tuesdays terrorist attack on the 110-story landmarks. 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As for survivor Crown, "From the very beginning, I knew how lucky I really was and I wasn't sure what I was going to do to give back or pay back.". Because the stairwell was filled with smoke, the other people with Clark decided they didnt want to risk venturing further down and felt theyd be safer if they went up toward fresh air. She told them to turn back, because shed seen fire and debris lower down. Crown was working for the financial services group of AON Insurance on the 100th floor of the South Tower when the North Tower was hit. And I said, Theres no way! These people are the unsung heroes of 9/11, not me. "The memorial will serve as a place for us to remember the victims of Sept. 11 and we should never forget them," he say. I always thought it could be a corporate jet and nothing more," he said. A tsunami of dust washed over emergency medical technician Guy Sanders, so thick that it clogged his surgical mask. ", "I can't shake it," he said, his voice breaking. Now Mr Praimnath was trapped behind a wall. Our room just got rocked, just destroyed in a second, Mr Clark told the Associated Press ten years later. However, Clark and Praimnath wanted to see for themselves if the stairs were really impassable. One Mans Escape From the Destruction of the World Trade Center Although he and his wife have since moved to Chicago, they made plans to have the baby in New York for the anniversary. Ron descended below. It was hijacked at approximately 9:28 a.m. In the blink of an eye, it was just 14. In horror, Dittmar watched as paper, office furniture and people were sucked out the tower against their will. On 11 September, 2001, Mr Clark was at work on the 84th floor of the World Trade Centers South Tower. Rainbows caused by glass shattering, people falling. Now Mr Praimnath was trapped behind a wall. It took years to recover. ET. Incredibly, he survived and saved another mans life, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Barely able to see his own boots with a small flashlight, DeMarco inched through the ruins with two officers behind him. There was no immediate evacuation order for the south tower. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. No. As a Canadian he felt as if it was a unique honor for him to have been appointed to his position and to be working in the World Trade Center, regarded by many as the most prestigious building in Manhattan. It's raining concrete, steel and bodies outside. You can learn about their all-too-short lives here. Nearly 2,000 people were at or above the points of impact at the World Trade Center Sept. 11, 2001. I have been given a gift. But at the same time, the main emotion we feel is sadness, for all of those who lost their lives.. He explained how it was possible for a very few to survive the extreme impact. They'd seen the plane in the North Tower. The percentage of moderate and severe scores were 11.89%(27) and 18.50% (42) in the GAD-7 and PHQ-9, respectively. Related:Looking Back on The World Trade Center AttacksHere Are Newspaper Front Pages Covering 9/11. NEW YORK, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Tom Canavan was buried alive at the World Trade Center site when the twin towers collapsed 20 years ago on Sept. 11. Tabeek lost 34 employees and helpers that day. The walk, the tours and hearing other guides personal stories serve well in helping me deal with what happened, says Powers, a now-retired Navy aviation planner. Above him, Flight 175 screamed into the South Tower, between floors 77 and 85. He heeded the warning and made his way over to the elevators. Well be brothers for life!. Now, he said, he needs pills to stay calm. "And they knew, they knew that they were going up those steps to fight a fire that they couldn't beat, knew that they were going up those steps to save lives that they couldn't save. Britt Newhouse, the former chairman of reinsurance broker, Guy Carpenter, worked in the second World Trade Center tower destroyed that day, when 295 colleagues from Marsh McLennan Cos. and 63 consultants lost their lives. "It was one of those moments," Dittmar said, "just the looks in their eyes told the story, no words, just the looks on their faces and the looks, that deep look in their eyes. "The timing we'll be having a baby is pretty unique when you think about relative to 10 years ago on the 11th," he said. He has post-traumatic stress disorder. Yet an estimated 33,000 or more people successfully evacuated the stricken buildings. What if he hadnt heard Praimnaths cries for help and had instead gone back upstairs with his colleagues? I COULDNT FIGURE OUT HOW I GOT OUT OF THERE ALIVE. A 2019 study found that 9/11 responders have an elevated risk of certain cancers compared with the general population. Looking back years later, Mr Clark still cant explain why hes alive. The only good thing about surviving a tragedy or a catastrophe of any kind is: It definitely makes you more resilient, says Lanski, who was hospitalized with the coronavirus as was her husband for two touch-and-go-weeks in spring 2020. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 105TH. I know without a doubt that Brian Clark is my guardian angel, says Praimnath, who now works for a different Japanese bank and was inspired by his experience to become an associate pastor at the Bethel Assembly of God church in Queens. They turned to look back down the corridor where they saw a huge fire ball coming at them. Hours later, he finally learned that she was OK. (At least one other couple, elevator operators Arturo and Carmen Griffith, also survived; their story inspired a recent film, Lovebirds of the Twin Towers.), My experience from the first disaster was that its a strangely happy moment when you know that youve survived, Bruce Stephan says. At 9:55am, they finally reached the ground floor. 'The sound of hundreds, thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people, on the streets in New York all screaming the same bloodcurdling scream all at the same time. "A lot of barefooted women that day in the tower," Dittmar said. "That simple decision to use the restroom - that two-and-a-half minute or so delay in his exiting - cost him his life that day," Dittmar said. But Berger ushered Bouchat and other Aon Corp. colleagues to the elevators, then turned back to check for more people. He said, You know, I think that building could come down, Mr Clark recalled. He was terribly thirsty. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, and while America has pushed forward, the country and world were never the same in their aftermath: We entered two wars, with the War on Terror in Afghanistan only just winding down; the Department of Homeland Security and National Security Agency were createdand, obviously closest to home, many lost loved ones, as well as a sense of security that most Americans took for granted. "It took me seven years before I had enough courage to go," he said. Of all the people in the floors above where Flight 175 crashed, only four survived. He was portrayed in a movie and wrote two books about enduring the ordeal. The reality was inconceivable. He had yelled for help for hours. As they left the building, a firefighter told them to run, because debris was falling on the street. Many of his thoughts at first were with the first responders who helped him. Insurance Companies Had Major Presence in World Trade Center Dittmar, then 44, was only in New York City to attend a business meeting on September 11, 2001. see Jon Stewart's amazing, moving tribute to 9/11 first responders. Investigators later estimated about 17,400 tenants and visitors were in the twin towers at the time of the attack, which killed 2,977 people. The man agreed but indicated first towards a bathroom sign. When they were a couple of blocks away, Mr Praimnath looked behind them. All rights reserved. The left wing sliced through his office and became lodged in a door 20 feet (6m) from him. "Some days, it feels . Because of its immense size and the inability to run an elevator from top to bottom, the tower had two sky lobbies one on 78, the other on 44 - where workers would transfer into higher reaching elevators. Unlike in the North Tower where the plane came in level, in the case of the South Tower, the pilot of the plane came in on an angle evidently to cause maximum damage. Tabeek won't be going to the memorial on the 10th anniversary. It is one that reminds us of how precious life can be and of the fact that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. They were two of only eighteen survivors from at or above the impact zone in the South Tower. At least nine of every 10 deaths in the North Tower were the workers and visitors at or above where Flight 11 hit, with the passenger jet crashing into floors 93 to 99. Since then Ron and his family have moved back to Canada. Looking back years later, Mr Clark still cant explain why hes alive. You get people telling you, `Well, (9/11) happened so long ago. The Most Powerful Quotes Remembering 9/11 on the Upcoming 20th Anniversary, Looking Back on The World Trade Center AttacksHere Are Newspaper Front Pages Covering 9/11, Childrens Book Series 9/11 Courage and Tributes Aims to Help Teach Kids About Sept. 11, 2001Read an Excerpt Here, 9/11 first responders have been diagnosed with cancer, How One Family Found New Purpose After Losing a Son on 9/11, an average of 23,000 individuals are in the building at any given time, Americans donated 1.5 million pints of blood nationwide. ", WATCH Joe Dittmar describe the emotional moment he began to pass first responders who were heading up the tower. Survivors of 9/11 recount historic moment, give back at tribute museum Of all the 9/11 survivor stories, one of the most unbelievable belongs to two men: Brian Clark, a Canadian. In the maelstrom of both towers coming down, they sought shelter in someone's Tribeca apartment, watching the television and piecing everything together. Structural engineer Gene Corley, vice president of Skokie, Ill.-based CTL Group, wrote a U.S. government report on how the World Trade Center performed after being attacked. One of the things that that we discovered as a result of the disasters was that being in a community is maybe the biggest reward you can have, Stephan, 65, says from their front porch in Essex. Ive got to make up for 3,000 people who lost their voice.. The two men, who had never met before 9/11, remain friends and have appeared on numerous shows and documentaries telling their story.[6]. First responders ushered escapees into the subterranean concourse under the World Trade Center, a warren of retail laneways which funneled out into the blocks and exit points away from the twin towers. "I know I experienced the worst 30 or 40 seconds of my life there. Help! Nearly 2,000 people were at or above the points of impact at the World Trade Center Sept. 11, 2001. On the 45th floor, recalls Praimnath, we came across a security guard who was caring for a man who had broken his back. We are bonded for life because of what we went through, and hes more than a friend, he tells PEOPLE. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan). ET and crashed into a field over Shanksville, Pa., at approximately 10:03 a.m. Miraculously, the desk shielded him as his office collapsed. Get Free Insurance Industry News Updates Delivered to Your Email! A total of 125 people died at the Pentagon on 9/11. He tried to make his way down but people from lower floors were coming up to escape the fire below. These are the people who said, If I cant save you, I am going to die with you. . Their risk is 25 percent higher for prostate cancer, more than double for . He and Clark are forever grateful that they had a different outcome. "We never took into consideration a dual attack, and we never anticipated planes. For a time after 9/11, Police Department Officer Mark DeMarco replayed the what-ifs in his mind. At the same time, Praimnath had just arrived back at his desk after taking the elevator to the ground floor, where he and other employees were told by a security guard that they should return to their offices so they wouldnt interfere with the evacuation of the North Tower. And every Sept. 11, the 82-year-old repeats his seven-mile (11 km) walk home from the Pentagon after the attack that killed 184 people, 10 of whom he knew. As they reached downstairs they suddenly heard the rumble of the building pancaking down on them. Well be brothers for life. . I never wanted to be in a situation where people needed me and I couldnt immediately respond, he says. Brian is a big brother. WATCH as Joe Dittmar describes the unforgettable sound of the South Tower collapsing, and untold New Yorkers screaming. Some fled an otherworldly dust cloud at ground zero. Related:Childrens Book Series 9/11 Courage and Tributes Aims to Help Teach Kids About Sept. 11, 2001Read an Excerpt Here. Minutes after the ambulance pulled away, Crown said, the building came crashing down. Marsh & McLennan Companies Chairman and CEO Jeff Greenberg knew something had gone terribly wrong in New York City that Tuesday morning. I wouldnt be here if he hadnt stretched out his hand that day.. She has the twin towers, "9/11/01" and "survivor" tattooed on her ankle. The total number of casualties of the aftermath of the attack will likely, tragically, rise: Over 1,100 9/11 first responders have been diagnosed with cancer directly linked to the dust and air quality after the terror attacks. On an impulse, he started heading down Stairway A. Mr Clark grabbed his hands and pulled. He was one of only 18 survivors from within or above the impact zone of United Airlines Flight 175. Tabeek was afraid that if he evacuated people who he thought were safe in the South Tower, he said, they'd be in grave danger from the falling debris. He gave me a big kiss, Mr Clark later remembered, laughing uncomfortably. Jimeno underwent surgeries and lengthy rehabilitation. Copyright 2023 Associated Press. There were audible groans. ", Tabeek worried about the debris raining down from the crippled North Tower onto the plaza below. And she has asked herself: Why am I here and 3,000 people are not?, But while Im here, Ive got to make it count, says Lanski, who has spoken at schools and traveled to conferences about terror victims. [1], When American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower, Praimnath started to evacuate from his 81st floor office in the South Tower, but he returned when the security guards of the building said the South Tower was secure, and workers should return to their offices. The psychosocial symptoms included dissatisfaction with their work life, feeling tension and anxiety, memory decline, doing things better than before, suffering low moods and depression, and lack of patience in staying alone. floor, when the group encountered a fire door that should have automatically closed and locked tight, but instead had been propped ajar by someone. "He put his big hands on my shoulders and he said, 'Where are you going to go, man?' "It's the first thing I hear in the morning, it's the last thing I hear at night, every day. After Flight 175 struck the South Tower, Clark and eight other employees of his floor who had survived the impact gathered together and started to descend Stairwell A. None of them would survive. Dont be afraid, he says. 9/11 Impact on Marsh & McLennan Cos. What 9/11 Survivors and First Responders Have Taught Us About Public Health in the 20 Years Since the Attacks. She last saw him on the 101st floor of the trade center's south tower. After the earthquake, the New York City natives resolved to change their workaholic lives. There were three staircases in front of Mr Clark. Were going to get out, he told Sgt. She couldnt multitask anymore. He worked as an executive for Fuji Bank on the 81st floor of the South Tower (WTC 2), the second tower struck that day. They had no idea a second jet was roaring directly toward them. A total of 340 firefighters died from the 9/11 terror attacks. Finally, Dittmar reached the ground floor lobby, but no-one was allowed out. "We should never forget what happened.". Related:The Most Powerful Quotes Remembering 9/11 on the Upcoming 20th Anniversary. And he received an additional gift as well: A new best friend. "There were over 200 people on the 78th floor," Crown said, "and I was fortunate to be in one square foot where I was able to survive the impact.". floor, Dittmar "experienced the worst 30 or 40 seconds of my life" when he and others who had been ordered to evacuate the building - but without being told why - had stopped and regathered, after walking 15 blind flights down the stairwell. "So you really just began concentrating on one thing, getting out. I got distracted by a banging noise inside the 81st floor, and I strained to listen to what I thought was a voice, he said. A 9/11 Remembrance From Former Carpenter Chairman Newhouse ", When the plane hit the South Tower, Tabeek happened to be standing behind a recently installed bomb-proof pane. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for SK Hand Tools 6 PC 1/2" Drive FlexZone Deep Impact Socket SAE 3/8 To 11/16 at the best online prices at eBay! They did not know yet that a hijacked plane had been involved. The public hasnt fully recognized the losses survivors felt, says Mary Fetchet, a social worker who lost her son Brad on 9/11 and founded Voices Center for Resilience, a support and advocacy group for victims families, first responders and survivors. At times, he says, he thought of suicide. For many, their journey down the last intact stairwell was fraught with unfathomable danger and nightmarish terror. Just then Ron says he heard a voice. This was Stanley Praimnath, a Fuji Bank employee who had seen Flight 175 approach and ducked under his desk just before the impact. Many decided to go back up, but hundreds of others decided to evacuate regardless of instructions, and remained waiting for the elevators. But he had made it. ", Now he attends every year. The explosion ripped through the 78th floor sky lobby. [2] Whilst making a phone call from his office, he looked out the south side of the building and spotted United Airlines Flight 175 flying towards him. Keating Crown survived the direct impact on WTC 78th floor. "That glass saved nine of our lives.". There was no way to proceed upward. The firefighter examined him and told Ron to go down to the bottom where he would be cared for. There was no immediate evacuation order for the south tower. I said, Uh, Im Brian. He said, Im Stanley! "In our wildest dreams, we never thought it would be a fully loaded commercial airliner with full tanks of fuel. News August 26, 2011, 2:35 PM Ron DiFrancesco, his wife Mary and their children Julia and.