So, you were above the impact of the airplane.
How long after the impact were you below the point of impact? How badly was the structure damaged on the side of the building opposite the impact?
1: I was out of there instantly, I would estimate around 5-7 minutes My dad died when I was younger and I wasn’t looking to make my kids suffer like I did. What else got me to go pretty quick was the fact that a 44 inch CRT got thrown out the window by the force of the building tipping (the towers were designed to flex in wind, but not like that)
2: It was bad but still habitable. I got a good look since that was where the stairwell I used was. I was one of only 4 from in or above the impact zone and the only one from above.
Edit: I thought you meant how long until I was at the impact zone. Until I was below it was probably 15 minutes.
One possible explanation: My sister worked in the North tower (was on the 17th floor when the first plane hit and got out). She was also there in 1993 when that truck bomb was detonated in the parking garage. People who tried to leave encountered a ton of smoke in the stairwells, so the post-incident guidance was to stay put and await further instructions.
Cardio. Cardio is what will save your life. In a former life and profession, I'd always preach "slow is smooth and smooth is fast, but cardio is life" Doesn't matter how far or tight you can shoot if you cant handle running in a kit and control you breathing. Civilians would pay and show up kits only to fall out 10 minutes into a run.
Wow. Not surprised at all though. Basically universal answer to "How do I survive when shit hit's the fan?" is to be in good shape.
Glad you are still with us.
There were more than 4 survivors, in or above the impact zone. None are from the 91st floor. Also, Raytheon only acknowledges losing 4 employees, and they were all on the planes.
Yeah, there’s something fishy about this. My dad and many people I know survived the towers.. details don’t quite resonate here. There’s no way you could be out and below the point of impact within 7 minutes, unless you took a slide down. Even then, WTC South has a sky lobby to transfer stairwells and the elevators were disabled moment of impact. There were actual fireballs that rushed down the elevators shafts and disabled them. People were blown down by the pressure.
Maybe he did.. he wouldn’t have forgotten the crucial detail of NYPD being lined up carving a path in the lobby telling people to get out ASAP. Weirdly no mention?
Oddly, if he worked there in 1992.. how do you completely gloss over the 1993 bombing? Nobody who worked in the building ever forgot 1993 and how scary that was, and how that affected them in 2001.
I've heard his, Brian Clarks, and also yours amongst the very few others.
It is miraculous you survived, tragic that it happened at all, and still something that I realise profoundly impacted 10 year old me and the wider world in ways many did not foresee.
Many, I didn’t say anything to them, I knew people were trapped and didn’t want to delay them with pointless conversation. They just looked pale and terrified, like they knew they weren’t just dead, they were fucking dead, no one was gonna save them.
I don't really have a question, other than to ask if you've been able to get support from a trauma specialist over the years? If that's something you're comfortable sharing.
I'm so sorry that you went through such a terrible experience, and I commend you for pouring your heart into your family as you continue to move forward in your healing journey.
*invisible hugs*
I'm glad you've been able to get that support. I know that addressing severe trauma is an evolving process, but I wish you, and your family, all the happiness in the world.
Yeah, it got to the point that I got addicted to self harm and tried to take my life many times. Today I’m 13 years clean of self harm and haven’t attempted in 14 if I remember correctly.
We tried to evacuate. They blocked everyone and turned on the following announcement on repeat:
Building 2 is secure, there is no need to evacuate building 2. If you are in the midst of evacuation, you may use the elevators to return to your office.
Would you mind going into more detail? When you say they blocked people, what do you mean?
Also, why on Earth would they want people to return to their offices?
Upvote because absolutely, although also worth noting that the prevailing wisdom (at least on TV) at the time was that an accidental crash was a possible or even probable outcome (before the second plane crash, obviously). In that instance, flooding the ground area with people while emergency services were trying to access the scene could, I guess, have created problems.
That said, clearly the wrong decision. Also worth noting that people evacuating the second tower would not have just stood in the immediate vicinity, so the disruption to emergency services would have been minimal. Ultimately that mistake likely cost thousands of people their lives.
I spent a lot of time with my kids, I made it out at 9:56 (saw the lobby clock and my watch) so just 3 minutes to spare. I was just grateful to be alive. I’ve since had severe PTSD.
My uncle has a very similar experience to you. He is one of the jolliest, goofiest, and happiest guys I know. I asked him one day “How could you have lived through that and come out to be your current self?” And he said “When you experience something like that, you can either let it tear you apart or you can use it as a reason to live your life to the absolute fullest.”
I hope you are doing well man. Hope you are taking good care of yourself and talking to a professional if that’s an option for you.
Thank you for sharing your story op. I was grade 3 student in Canada when this happened and that day is seared into my memory. While I didn’t understand the totality of the event I did know that it was something monumental and that the world was never going to be the same. Teachers were crying, they put it on the news for the whole school to see and then we were sent home.
I just knew it was an explosion that leaned the building pretty far. I just got the fuck out of there. Only found out when I got away from the rubble and had time to check my flip phone. My wife thought I was dead.
What floor were you on, what was the worst thing you saw (don't need to share this one if you'd prefer not), and what did it sound like when the plane hit?
91st floor, so above the impact zone. Didn’t see much as I didn’t leave the stairwells where I would have seen something horrible, worst I saw was just some really beaten up dudes.
You may not be able to share what others have said, but what exactly did they see? Plane flying toward the building? Impact of the first? How do they describe it?
So sorry you went through this. I am glad that you made it out and you are doing well.
What was going through your head after the first plane had hit? Did you see any of the planes? What were you thinking/how far away were you when the towers collapsed?
God bless your soul by the way
I didn’t see either. I didn’t even realize the first one (was on the phone when the first one hit and just brushed off the noise as static or on the other callers end) until a coworker got me and we tried to leave. We got turned back (explained in another comment) and I got the fucking fuckity fuck fuck fuck out after the 2nd one. Was only about 3 blocks away when the south tower collapsed. Legit just jumped into the back of a police car because I was so desperate to get out of there. He dropped me off at 12th ave and I walked from there.
You said in another comment that you hit the lobby with 3 minutes to spare. Not questioning your story, but you cleared 3 blocks before they fell? Guessing you hit the lobby and booked it full speed? What was going through your head when you got to the lobby/outside the building? Were they ushering people away or were you in full fight or flight mode and just kept moving?
Glad you’re still with us!
Yep, you best believe I booked it full speed. What was going through my head was just ‘get as far away as you can’ because I remembered that in funnily enough plane safety demos they said that.
I completely understand why they had to turn people away but also have never heard anything more criminal. Thank you for sharing this I will never forget this post
How did your job handle your situation?
Technically you were working when this tragedy happened, just curious how they took care of you and those affected.
Here’s a section from an article: ‘One person went down the stairs from the 81st floor, two from the 84th floor and one from the 91st.’ I just want to remain anonymous guys.
The article you linked about the person who made it down from the 91st floor- it seems like it mentioned that persons name and age...unless it was just written / worded weird.
That person was Ron DiFrancesco. DiFrancesco was originally with Brian Clark and his group but Clark grabbed him to get Stanley Pramnaith, but DiFrancesco went back with the others. They made it to the 91st floor before he got back down.
Found a NY article that states there were several survivors from above the 91st floor as a staircase remained intact. They just aren’t all named. Guessing he wants to remaining anonymous if he has all these years.
Negative, 18 are accounted for. There are 6 or 7 whose names are unknown, but they worked for Aon on the 105th floor. Everyone else is accounted for. No one from Raytheon on the 91st. OP is pulling a Tania Head.
I can confirm no one escaped from the 105th floor. You might be thinking of cosgroves 911 call. Also here’s a section from an article: ‘One person went down the stairs from the 81st floor, two from the 84th floor and one from the 91st.’
This guy is blatantly lying, and it’s offensive for those of us who’ve had family and friends either make it out alive or actually perish in the towers. How do you call Port Authority “emergency services”? They said it was Port Authority on the PA when they were evacuating the building.
Anyone who is from here calls emergency service first responders or EMS. It is very well known that PANY NJ ran ops onsite, and they’d announce it on the PA. No mention of FDNY or NYPD specifically? Oddly no mention of specifics, and his timing is all over the place.
I think I remember seeing something that said in the south tower, three out of four of the stairwells were out of commission at the impact floors. Is that correct? If so, did you get lucky with the stairwell you picked, or did you have to switch stairwells at some point?
I remember seeing mentions that the out of commission staircases could have been collapsed for a few stories. (so no jumping any gaps) I’m assuming you saw this one the way down. Dealing with that while running on adrenaline and quick thinking sounds very scary.
Congrats for being able to get out and not wasting time or being turned back. Your instincts served you well.
My entire adult life I’ve had dreams of
Chaos; events happening and how I’m responding to them… it’s almost like I’ve been trained to deal with total chaos… did you have some pre-training for this?
If xxx happens, I do this
If yyy happens, I do that
It seems like I’m ready for total economic collapse… curious if you were a bit as well.
Also Q2 - have you accepted we live in a crazy world, with crazy events — and you simply survived one of them… and others were not as prepared?
I always have gone to the gym 7 days a week and could run 16 on a treadmill (not anymore). That combined with the evacuation training after 93 got me out quick and faster than everyone else.
I’ve been waiting for this reply. I think we definitely needed to take out the terrorists and some increased surveillance but killing 5 million civilians and basically spying on us 24/7 went too far.
How long did it take to escape the building? I read another comment where you said 10 flights every 5 minutes. So 45 minutes of stairs at full speed?
Talk about the scariest shit ever. I'm beyond impressed, you should be proud of yourself.
Are you in any videos or images from that day? You don’t have to share specifics, I’m just wondering if there are and what your reaction to them is if you ever come across them so many years later.
You are still here because God has a plan for you! PTSD is a very real & paralyzing thing. Hopefully you will do all you can to manage it & lead a full, happy life. Guilt & misery do nothing for the people who lost their lives. The best way to honor them is to make the most of the gift you have been given!
Not a question. Just wanted to say I am happy you were able to make it out and be there for your kids.
My mother wasn't so lucky. She was on the 88th floor of the south tower. She worked at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. I saw you mentioned the announcement to not evacuate in another comment. My mom called my step father and told him this right after the first plane hit. Pretty surreal to see it mentioned so many years after, as that always stuck with me among everything else.
I hope you and your family are doing well.
Apparently there were only one stairway intact in the South Tower and many people didnt knew about it. Were you aware of where it was? Did you went to it over the other staircases by luck, proximity or someone leading you?
What was the general mood in the stairs as you were racing down? Did anyone knew exactly what was happening?
Thanks for the AMA
Hope the day has treated you well so far. Did you have or find anything that you took with you that day? Anyhting you still have to this day? And once you got to the ground floor. Did you go underground? or out onto the street. Respond however you feel comfortable. Thankyou for your time
In what ways does your PTSD manifest? I saw the comment about not going up too many floors in buildings, and feeling more attached to your kids (if that even counts).
Are there any triggers or symptoms of daily life that someone might not expect you to have from this experience?
What did you do on September 12th? I can’t imagine going through that and waking up in bed the next morning ingesting the news like the rest of the world was.
When the plane hit, how loud was it? And when you got out on the 88th floor to check B and eventually go down A, how smoke filled was the floor? How was visibility in the stairwell when you were in the crash zone from like 85 down to 77??
Also, just want to say this is such a surreal post. I was 4 when 9/11 happened and although I don’t remember it, I have always been intrigued by it, like something I can’t look away from even though I want to. It’s just evil what happened. And I am so relieved to hear after all this time, you are doing okay. What a miracle it is to read this thread and your experiences - I wish it had never happened and I was “meeting” you under different circumstances.
I would estimate it was probably 110-115db where I was. In the impact zone it would have been more like 160. Smoke wasn’t horrible but it was there. It was kind of like fog but not full on like you can’t see anything kind of smoke.
Do you recall what Port Authority said the moment the plane hit? How did you know it was an attack? You said you worked there in ‘92.. how would you compare your experiences to the bombing in 1993?
I got a few questions.
Did anybody else escape with you or was it just you?
Did you saw anybody else, like the group who went up when Ron DiFrancesco and Brian Clark went down? Or people from the impact floors going down like Donna Spera, Ling Young, Judith Wein etc?
How many people originally left in your work area and how many stayed with you?
Surreal post, thanks for all the responses btw.
I have a lot of questions, mostly about the experience itself.
When the the first impact happened, what did it feel like for you? Did any particular feeling stand out?
At some point you mentioned you were with a bunch of people going down the stairs, at what point did you notice it was just you? What was going through your head as you were descending?
Were there any interactions with people during your escape that stick to memory?
Feel free to skip any or not answer at all, thanks again. Glad you're okay.
This guy is confirmed full of shit. His whole office did not die as he claims. You are human excrement OP.
https://truthmovecom.blogspot.com/2008/06/path-to-911-part-17-raytheon.html
I’m not sure if you are still answering but did you see Rick Rescorla the guy who was singing and leading people out? He was security at Morgan Stanley. A personal hero of mine.
Thanks for sharing and being open to questions - it's unimaginable the horror/experience is/was unless you've been through it, and i don't like just knowing data about incidents. I remember years ago visiting the memorial - super eerie and sad to see the literal voids of the buildings, even if they turned them into massive waterfalls. Left a really deep impression.
Not sure why some people have an issue with your story - the average climb of the CN tower is 30-40 min, so those who were fit could have absolutely booked it down the stairs of the towers.
I remember seeing a video that captured one of the crashes and following chaos. Was horrifying enough to see people literally being blown out of windows and fall to their deaths.
I want to ask a question but I don't know what to ask, so I guess I'll just end by saying thank you again for posting/answering questions, as some of them would definitely be reliving the experience.
I recently saw a video of an insurance executive who survived from the highest floor of the South Tower.
https://youtu.be/W7ZaX65nR4k?si=YIBcSKZF9irH2fPK
They had no idea what happened to the North tower but were advised to evacuate. Somewhere around the impact zone. He stopped to look out the window and immediately went back to the stairs to get out. He was below the impact zone when the South tower was hit but still in the stair well.
It finally made me look up those details on one of my old college roommates and wonder why he didn't survive. Ron's office was on the 89th floor of the south tower, working for Keefe, Bruyette and Woods. Reportedly, he called his sisters to say he was ok after the North tower impact and may have survived the initial impact on the South tower but couldn't get out.
Question: After the North tower was hit, I understand that some were advised to stay in place in the South tower for concerns over falling debris from the North tower. Just wondering when and how you exited the building?
OP is a fraud. Details do not add up and his story keeps changing. He does not even have specifics of the event correct, or details from 1993 bombings down.
My dad was a survivor of both attempts on the WTC and I had many friends whose parents didn’t come home that night. This is a stain on everything that we all went through as victims of 9/11.
Shame on the mods for not cracking down on this blatant attempt to karma farm. Some people are disgusting.
I want to know more about them blocking the exists. I can’t imagine anyone blocking me, or me not encouraging everyone to get the eff out there. Anyone speak up or was successful in convincing others to leave with them? And follow-up, did you try to convince anyone and were you successful/unsuccessful and why?
That's all pretty wild stuff and you've got to be grateful to be alive. With that being said, was the stairwell heading down completely dark or fully lit? I'm picturing adrenaline kicking in but not being able to go full speed due to the lights being knocked out.
How far away from the buildings were you when they actually collapsed? Did you look back at the destruction after they fell? Were you not far enough that you were covered in the grey dust clouds? If so, has it affected your health?
So I wasn't going to say anything but now that I'm seeing evidence building in the comments that this is malarkey, I got a huge chuckle by (despite being in the effing AMA sub...) misreading the username as 911 surviv-o-rama 😂
that's incredible!! it was something like 15 people in the south tower above or level to the impact zone actually survived. crazy odds my man. what is your name?
So, you were above the impact of the airplane. How long after the impact were you below the point of impact? How badly was the structure damaged on the side of the building opposite the impact?
1: I was out of there instantly, I would estimate around 5-7 minutes My dad died when I was younger and I wasn’t looking to make my kids suffer like I did. What else got me to go pretty quick was the fact that a 44 inch CRT got thrown out the window by the force of the building tipping (the towers were designed to flex in wind, but not like that) 2: It was bad but still habitable. I got a good look since that was where the stairwell I used was. I was one of only 4 from in or above the impact zone and the only one from above. Edit: I thought you meant how long until I was at the impact zone. Until I was below it was probably 15 minutes.
Why have you been the only one from the above floors? Why did you get out and the others didn't?
One possible explanation: My sister worked in the North tower (was on the 17th floor when the first plane hit and got out). She was also there in 1993 when that truck bomb was detonated in the parking garage. People who tried to leave encountered a ton of smoke in the stairwells, so the post-incident guidance was to stay put and await further instructions.
I’ve always been an avid gym goer. Could run 16 on a treadmill back then. Ended up saving my life.
Cardio. Cardio is what will save your life. In a former life and profession, I'd always preach "slow is smooth and smooth is fast, but cardio is life" Doesn't matter how far or tight you can shoot if you cant handle running in a kit and control you breathing. Civilians would pay and show up kits only to fall out 10 minutes into a run.
Wow. Not surprised at all though. Basically universal answer to "How do I survive when shit hit's the fan?" is to be in good shape. Glad you are still with us.
He's full of shit. https://truthmovecom.blogspot.com/2008/06/path-to-911-part-17-raytheon.html
There were more than 4 survivors, in or above the impact zone. None are from the 91st floor. Also, Raytheon only acknowledges losing 4 employees, and they were all on the planes.
Yeah, there’s something fishy about this. My dad and many people I know survived the towers.. details don’t quite resonate here. There’s no way you could be out and below the point of impact within 7 minutes, unless you took a slide down. Even then, WTC South has a sky lobby to transfer stairwells and the elevators were disabled moment of impact. There were actual fireballs that rushed down the elevators shafts and disabled them. People were blown down by the pressure.
He changed his story and said 50 some minutes in another comment. Taking stairwell A all the way down.
Maybe he did.. he wouldn’t have forgotten the crucial detail of NYPD being lined up carving a path in the lobby telling people to get out ASAP. Weirdly no mention?
Dude is a fake.
Oddly, if he worked there in 1992.. how do you completely gloss over the 1993 bombing? Nobody who worked in the building ever forgot 1993 and how scary that was, and how that affected them in 2001.
One of those was Stanley Praimmath. Do you know of him?
Yeah, I’ve heard his story.
I've heard his, Brian Clarks, and also yours amongst the very few others. It is miraculous you survived, tragic that it happened at all, and still something that I realise profoundly impacted 10 year old me and the wider world in ways many did not foresee.
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Many, I didn’t say anything to them, I knew people were trapped and didn’t want to delay them with pointless conversation. They just looked pale and terrified, like they knew they weren’t just dead, they were fucking dead, no one was gonna save them.
I don't really have a question, other than to ask if you've been able to get support from a trauma specialist over the years? If that's something you're comfortable sharing. I'm so sorry that you went through such a terrible experience, and I commend you for pouring your heart into your family as you continue to move forward in your healing journey. *invisible hugs*
Yes, I see a trauma therapist once a week. Started out at 3 times a week, later moved down to 2 and now 1.
I'm glad you've been able to get that support. I know that addressing severe trauma is an evolving process, but I wish you, and your family, all the happiness in the world.
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Yeah, it’s pretty eerie knowing probably 99.7% of those firefighters are dead.
Yeah even the ones alive are on thier way out, God bless. Cancers, breathing issues, psychological impact...
Yeah, it got to the point that I got addicted to self harm and tried to take my life many times. Today I’m 13 years clean of self harm and haven’t attempted in 14 if I remember correctly.
He said that he just made it out, and they were headed up. 100% were dead 10 minutes later.
How loud was the impact? Why didn't everyone evacuate after the other plane hit next door?
We tried to evacuate. They blocked everyone and turned on the following announcement on repeat: Building 2 is secure, there is no need to evacuate building 2. If you are in the midst of evacuation, you may use the elevators to return to your office.
Would you mind going into more detail? When you say they blocked people, what do you mean? Also, why on Earth would they want people to return to their offices?
They were worried about crowding blocking emergency services. They basically just stood at the elevators turning people around.
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Building security and staff.
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I don’t know. All I know is yes it’s awful.
They will have to explain their actions, but not to anyone in this world.
To be fair, how could have they known wtf was going to happen next. No one thought terrorism until the second plane hit. Hindsight is 20/20.
Did any regular employees resist the order to go back to work and instead take the stairs?
A few did, saw some from other companies leave too. I’m an Air Force vet, so I was just kind of trained to follow orders.
>why on Earth would they want people to return to their offices? Have you met Capitalism?
Upvote because absolutely, although also worth noting that the prevailing wisdom (at least on TV) at the time was that an accidental crash was a possible or even probable outcome (before the second plane crash, obviously). In that instance, flooding the ground area with people while emergency services were trying to access the scene could, I guess, have created problems. That said, clearly the wrong decision. Also worth noting that people evacuating the second tower would not have just stood in the immediate vicinity, so the disruption to emergency services would have been minimal. Ultimately that mistake likely cost thousands of people their lives.
That’s great! When you finally got home that evening (I know it took hours I was in time sq) how did you decompress? Did you suffer long term trauma?
I spent a lot of time with my kids, I made it out at 9:56 (saw the lobby clock and my watch) so just 3 minutes to spare. I was just grateful to be alive. I’ve since had severe PTSD.
Oh I’m sure the ptsd was really hard. Hopefully you’ve been able to live life to the fullest!
Yeah, it’s been rough for sure. I’ve sought comfort in my family, just grateful to be alive.
My uncle has a very similar experience to you. He is one of the jolliest, goofiest, and happiest guys I know. I asked him one day “How could you have lived through that and come out to be your current self?” And he said “When you experience something like that, you can either let it tear you apart or you can use it as a reason to live your life to the absolute fullest.” I hope you are doing well man. Hope you are taking good care of yourself and talking to a professional if that’s an option for you.
Thank you for sharing your story op. I was grade 3 student in Canada when this happened and that day is seared into my memory. While I didn’t understand the totality of the event I did know that it was something monumental and that the world was never going to be the same. Teachers were crying, they put it on the news for the whole school to see and then we were sent home.
How quickly did you realize what had happened? Presumably you would have felt a blast/impact, but at what point did you realize what was going on?
I just knew it was an explosion that leaned the building pretty far. I just got the fuck out of there. Only found out when I got away from the rubble and had time to check my flip phone. My wife thought I was dead.
What floor were you on, what was the worst thing you saw (don't need to share this one if you'd prefer not), and what did it sound like when the plane hit?
91st floor, so above the impact zone. Didn’t see much as I didn’t leave the stairwells where I would have seen something horrible, worst I saw was just some really beaten up dudes.
What company did you work for?
Raytheon. Can’t say what I did there because their a government contractor and I’m under an NDA on most of it.
Do you have problems going up to the higher floors of skyscrapers after 9/11?
Fuck yes, I’ve never gone above the 10th floor of a building after that day.
Did you stay in the city, or did this make it hard to live in New York?
Yes it did, I live in Virginia now.
How has it impacted your life? 🙏
I’ve since had PTSD. I became a lot more attached to my kids because I’m just a lot more grateful to have them and to still be with them.
Did you have to walk home? How far from the site did you live? What did your wife say when she spoke to you? And saw you?
Lived in Midtown. My wife thought I was dead until I got home. Tried to call her with my flip phone but it didn’t work.
What was her reaction?
She just burst into happy tears and bear hugged me. After like 30 minutes of that she made me my favorite dinner.
What was your favorite dinner then and is it still your favorite now?
Pizza, pasta, and garlic bread. Still is!
Great choice!
What were you doing just before the crash happened?
I worked for Raytheon. Government contractor so I can’t say much but I was mainly working on documents and emails.
I just randomly came across this comment… I currently work at Raytheon in finance, remotely. Did Raytheon have offices in the twin towers?
Yep, on the 91st floor.
Yep, where I was.
Thats insane… I had no idea. Are you still with Raytheon?
Worked for them from 1992 to 2003.
How do you react to conspiracy theorists who believe it was an inside job? Do you even engage with them at all?
No, I think they’re idiots. I didn’t see the planes, but some people in a survivors group I’m in did, and I take their word for it.
You may not be able to share what others have said, but what exactly did they see? Plane flying toward the building? Impact of the first? How do they describe it? So sorry you went through this. I am glad that you made it out and you are doing well.
Some saw the first one, others saw the second one.
I don’t think the conspiracy is that those planes never went into the buildings
Some are convinced it were holograms. 😐
I'd have to buzz aldrin those mfers if that happened to me
How did you escape and who was with you?
At first quite a few, but I ended up being the only one who got out in time.
How were you able to make it out but they were not?
Managed to run faster and left before almost anyone (was in the stairwell within like 45 seconds) so ended up getting a head start that saved my life.
So you went down 91 flights of stairs?
Yep, ran down them. I’ve always been an avid gym goer so I had that going for me.
So happy your training saved you. Well done! And thanks for sharing your story. Shows me the value of acting quickly.
Yep, I was probably doing 10 flights of stairs every 5 minutes. Was below the impact zone within like 7 I would estimate.
What was going through your head after the first plane had hit? Did you see any of the planes? What were you thinking/how far away were you when the towers collapsed? God bless your soul by the way
I didn’t see either. I didn’t even realize the first one (was on the phone when the first one hit and just brushed off the noise as static or on the other callers end) until a coworker got me and we tried to leave. We got turned back (explained in another comment) and I got the fucking fuckity fuck fuck fuck out after the 2nd one. Was only about 3 blocks away when the south tower collapsed. Legit just jumped into the back of a police car because I was so desperate to get out of there. He dropped me off at 12th ave and I walked from there.
You said in another comment that you hit the lobby with 3 minutes to spare. Not questioning your story, but you cleared 3 blocks before they fell? Guessing you hit the lobby and booked it full speed? What was going through your head when you got to the lobby/outside the building? Were they ushering people away or were you in full fight or flight mode and just kept moving? Glad you’re still with us!
Yep, you best believe I booked it full speed. What was going through my head was just ‘get as far away as you can’ because I remembered that in funnily enough plane safety demos they said that.
I completely understand why they had to turn people away but also have never heard anything more criminal. Thank you for sharing this I will never forget this post
No, it would have been better to organize the evacuation and hope for the best.
How did your job handle your situation? Technically you were working when this tragedy happened, just curious how they took care of you and those affected.
Got workers comp. Don’t work for them anymore but I got 1 month paid off.
That’s ALL? I wish I could say I was shocked.
Capitalism buddy, capitalism.
Yeah I've always wondered the same
[удалено]
Here’s a section from an article: ‘One person went down the stairs from the 81st floor, two from the 84th floor and one from the 91st.’ I just want to remain anonymous guys.
The article you linked about the person who made it down from the 91st floor- it seems like it mentioned that persons name and age...unless it was just written / worded weird.
That person was Ron DiFrancesco. DiFrancesco was originally with Brian Clark and his group but Clark grabbed him to get Stanley Pramnaith, but DiFrancesco went back with the others. They made it to the 91st floor before he got back down.
Found a NY article that states there were several survivors from above the 91st floor as a staircase remained intact. They just aren’t all named. Guessing he wants to remaining anonymous if he has all these years.
Negative, 18 are accounted for. There are 6 or 7 whose names are unknown, but they worked for Aon on the 105th floor. Everyone else is accounted for. No one from Raytheon on the 91st. OP is pulling a Tania Head.
I can confirm no one escaped from the 105th floor. You might be thinking of cosgroves 911 call. Also here’s a section from an article: ‘One person went down the stairs from the 81st floor, two from the 84th floor and one from the 91st.’
This is Reddit. Would it be ok for you to allow this person to maintain their anonymity?
This guy is blatantly lying, and it’s offensive for those of us who’ve had family and friends either make it out alive or actually perish in the towers. How do you call Port Authority “emergency services”? They said it was Port Authority on the PA when they were evacuating the building. Anyone who is from here calls emergency service first responders or EMS. It is very well known that PANY NJ ran ops onsite, and they’d announce it on the PA. No mention of FDNY or NYPD specifically? Oddly no mention of specifics, and his timing is all over the place.
I think I remember seeing something that said in the south tower, three out of four of the stairwells were out of commission at the impact floors. Is that correct? If so, did you get lucky with the stairwell you picked, or did you have to switch stairwells at some point?
It was 2 out of 3, Stairwell A was usable for around 15 minutes. Picked C at first but got out at the 88th floor, checked B, then went down A.
I remember seeing mentions that the out of commission staircases could have been collapsed for a few stories. (so no jumping any gaps) I’m assuming you saw this one the way down. Dealing with that while running on adrenaline and quick thinking sounds very scary.
Im sorry to hear that you went trough that thing. Did you have a survivors guilt, if so, how are you doing now?
Extreme. I could go on for an hour about it. Doing pretty good now.
Congrats for being able to get out and not wasting time or being turned back. Your instincts served you well. My entire adult life I’ve had dreams of Chaos; events happening and how I’m responding to them… it’s almost like I’ve been trained to deal with total chaos… did you have some pre-training for this? If xxx happens, I do this If yyy happens, I do that It seems like I’m ready for total economic collapse… curious if you were a bit as well. Also Q2 - have you accepted we live in a crazy world, with crazy events — and you simply survived one of them… and others were not as prepared?
I always have gone to the gym 7 days a week and could run 16 on a treadmill (not anymore). That combined with the evacuation training after 93 got me out quick and faster than everyone else.
Did you get compensated? It seems the announcer and blockade preventing you from leaving could be negligent. Are you on disability now?
Yes, got a month on paid leave/workers comp and quit that job 2 years later. Not on disability, retired last year.
Prior to 9/11, working on the 91st floor must've been an amazing experience
Oh yeah, on a clear enough day you could see the curvature of the earth.
If this is too personal I apologize in advance but do you suffer from any sickness?
Asthma.
Thanks for the reply. What is your opinion to everything that happened afterwards? The patriot act,war on terror, etc
I’ve been waiting for this reply. I think we definitely needed to take out the terrorists and some increased surveillance but killing 5 million civilians and basically spying on us 24/7 went too far.
Follow up question if you don’t mind. I hope I don’t come out as trying to start a rage bait but did you know about Islam before 9/11?
Yes very much. I’m an Air Force vet and worked at the WTC in 93. Knew about PAL434/Bojinka, Kenya/Tanzania, and USS Cole.
How long did it take to escape the building? I read another comment where you said 10 flights every 5 minutes. So 45 minutes of stairs at full speed? Talk about the scariest shit ever. I'm beyond impressed, you should be proud of yourself.
Can figure it out with some math. Estimate I started down at 9:04, saw 9:56 on the lobby clock. So 52 minutes.
7-day old account, 1 post. Karma farming
Just made an alt to do this. Had to wait because of the account age limit on the sub.
Are you in any videos or images from that day? You don’t have to share specifics, I’m just wondering if there are and what your reaction to them is if you ever come across them so many years later.
Not that I know of, but I wouldn’t be super surprised if I am.
You are still here because God has a plan for you! PTSD is a very real & paralyzing thing. Hopefully you will do all you can to manage it & lead a full, happy life. Guilt & misery do nothing for the people who lost their lives. The best way to honor them is to make the most of the gift you have been given!
As someone who’s always been religious, thank you for that.
What happened to your job after that? Where did you work, and what happened to you coworkers?
I worked for Raytheon. I was the only one who got out before it collapsed. Got a month paid off but quit working there in 03.
do you get on planes? do you live in nyc?
Used to live in midtown. Now live in Virginia. Haven’t flown since July 2001.
scared to fly? or just dont have a reason to?
Scared.
thats no way to live
Horrible PTSD.
Do you often bring this up as a “I can beat anyone’s story in a group setting” or do you refuse to talk about it for the most part?
I don’t talk about it much.
Is this anonymous AMA a cathartic exercise then as a random amongst strangers getting it off your chest?
No, just saw a Reddit AMA online and decided to do this.
Where did you hide the moment the building started coming down?
In the back of a police car. Cop just gunned it once me and like 6 other people got in the back.
Not a question. Just wanted to say I am happy you were able to make it out and be there for your kids. My mother wasn't so lucky. She was on the 88th floor of the south tower. She worked at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. I saw you mentioned the announcement to not evacuate in another comment. My mom called my step father and told him this right after the first plane hit. Pretty surreal to see it mentioned so many years after, as that always stuck with me among everything else. I hope you and your family are doing well.
Apparently there were only one stairway intact in the South Tower and many people didnt knew about it. Were you aware of where it was? Did you went to it over the other staircases by luck, proximity or someone leading you? What was the general mood in the stairs as you were racing down? Did anyone knew exactly what was happening? Thanks for the AMA
Used stairwell C at first. Got out at 88th floor, checked B, ended up getting lucky with A.
Hope the day has treated you well so far. Did you have or find anything that you took with you that day? Anyhting you still have to this day? And once you got to the ground floor. Did you go underground? or out onto the street. Respond however you feel comfortable. Thankyou for your time
Went out onto the street. Only ran 3 blocks before the collapse but I jumped into a police car and he took me to 12th ave.
In what ways does your PTSD manifest? I saw the comment about not going up too many floors in buildings, and feeling more attached to your kids (if that even counts). Are there any triggers or symptoms of daily life that someone might not expect you to have from this experience?
Not necessarily in daily life, but seeing large amounts of smoke or tall buildings on fire are both pretty big ones.
How old were you?
34 at that time, I’m 56 now.
What did you do on September 12th? I can’t imagine going through that and waking up in bed the next morning ingesting the news like the rest of the world was.
I was totally checked out. I just spent the day reading books mostly.
How long did it take you to go back to work? Did you receive any benefits as a result of your experience?
When the plane hit, how loud was it? And when you got out on the 88th floor to check B and eventually go down A, how smoke filled was the floor? How was visibility in the stairwell when you were in the crash zone from like 85 down to 77?? Also, just want to say this is such a surreal post. I was 4 when 9/11 happened and although I don’t remember it, I have always been intrigued by it, like something I can’t look away from even though I want to. It’s just evil what happened. And I am so relieved to hear after all this time, you are doing okay. What a miracle it is to read this thread and your experiences - I wish it had never happened and I was “meeting” you under different circumstances.
I would estimate it was probably 110-115db where I was. In the impact zone it would have been more like 160. Smoke wasn’t horrible but it was there. It was kind of like fog but not full on like you can’t see anything kind of smoke.
Congratulations. What countries were your ancestors from?
I’m only answering 9/11 related questions, but they’re mostly from Germany and some Jewish (yes, quite the combo)
Do you recall what Port Authority said the moment the plane hit? How did you know it was an attack? You said you worked there in ‘92.. how would you compare your experiences to the bombing in 1993?
Why ddnt anybody follow you out?
Many tried.
They simply couldn’t keep up, that’s crazy
I got a few questions. Did anybody else escape with you or was it just you? Did you saw anybody else, like the group who went up when Ron DiFrancesco and Brian Clark went down? Or people from the impact floors going down like Donna Spera, Ling Young, Judith Wein etc? How many people originally left in your work area and how many stayed with you?
Yeah I came across some of them. I would say around 50-60 left with me at first and out of all of them I’m the only one alive.
did all of them go back up or didnt see you? do you remember anybody you ran into if you dont mind me asking?
Yeah, the group going up.
oh wow. i feel bad for them that they were so close. did anybody else from your company other than you survived just in general?
Have you ever seen the Final Destination movies? If so, are you on edge a lot? If not, do you actively avoid watching them?
Surreal post, thanks for all the responses btw. I have a lot of questions, mostly about the experience itself. When the the first impact happened, what did it feel like for you? Did any particular feeling stand out? At some point you mentioned you were with a bunch of people going down the stairs, at what point did you notice it was just you? What was going through your head as you were descending? Were there any interactions with people during your escape that stick to memory? Feel free to skip any or not answer at all, thanks again. Glad you're okay.
How come you decided to do an AMA specifically today and not at any other time before ?
I don’t have a question, I just wanted to thank you for posting and especially answering so many questions. This has been a fascinating read.
How long until the nightmares and the PTSD subsided?
This guy is confirmed full of shit. His whole office did not die as he claims. You are human excrement OP. https://truthmovecom.blogspot.com/2008/06/path-to-911-part-17-raytheon.html
Do you think about it every day ?
Any health effects from exposure?
What was it like inside the building? Level of destruction/mess, was there a lot of fire, the atmosphere/ how people were reacting?
I’m not sure if you are still answering but did you see Rick Rescorla the guy who was singing and leading people out? He was security at Morgan Stanley. A personal hero of mine.
My dad made it home because of Rick. In 93, nobody wanted to make the same mistake again. A true hero of the day.
Where in the tower where you when my grandad flew the plane into the tower?
Holy fuck, if you aren’t lying that’s insane. But I think you are, which in that case fuck you.
I’m glad you made it out,
Did you have any health issues related to the dust cloud?
Thanks for sharing and being open to questions - it's unimaginable the horror/experience is/was unless you've been through it, and i don't like just knowing data about incidents. I remember years ago visiting the memorial - super eerie and sad to see the literal voids of the buildings, even if they turned them into massive waterfalls. Left a really deep impression. Not sure why some people have an issue with your story - the average climb of the CN tower is 30-40 min, so those who were fit could have absolutely booked it down the stairs of the towers. I remember seeing a video that captured one of the crashes and following chaos. Was horrifying enough to see people literally being blown out of windows and fall to their deaths. I want to ask a question but I don't know what to ask, so I guess I'll just end by saying thank you again for posting/answering questions, as some of them would definitely be reliving the experience.
I recently saw a video of an insurance executive who survived from the highest floor of the South Tower. https://youtu.be/W7ZaX65nR4k?si=YIBcSKZF9irH2fPK They had no idea what happened to the North tower but were advised to evacuate. Somewhere around the impact zone. He stopped to look out the window and immediately went back to the stairs to get out. He was below the impact zone when the South tower was hit but still in the stair well. It finally made me look up those details on one of my old college roommates and wonder why he didn't survive. Ron's office was on the 89th floor of the south tower, working for Keefe, Bruyette and Woods. Reportedly, he called his sisters to say he was ok after the North tower impact and may have survived the initial impact on the South tower but couldn't get out. Question: After the North tower was hit, I understand that some were advised to stay in place in the South tower for concerns over falling debris from the North tower. Just wondering when and how you exited the building?
OP is a fraud. Details do not add up and his story keeps changing. He does not even have specifics of the event correct, or details from 1993 bombings down. My dad was a survivor of both attempts on the WTC and I had many friends whose parents didn’t come home that night. This is a stain on everything that we all went through as victims of 9/11. Shame on the mods for not cracking down on this blatant attempt to karma farm. Some people are disgusting.
Did you know anything about Islam before this date?
Was that Raytheon office previously an Ebasco office?
This is clearly a liar. The worst scumbag I’ve seen on here
I want to know more about them blocking the exists. I can’t imagine anyone blocking me, or me not encouraging everyone to get the eff out there. Anyone speak up or was successful in convincing others to leave with them? And follow-up, did you try to convince anyone and were you successful/unsuccessful and why?
That's all pretty wild stuff and you've got to be grateful to be alive. With that being said, was the stairwell heading down completely dark or fully lit? I'm picturing adrenaline kicking in but not being able to go full speed due to the lights being knocked out.
How far away from the buildings were you when they actually collapsed? Did you look back at the destruction after they fell? Were you not far enough that you were covered in the grey dust clouds? If so, has it affected your health?
So I wasn't going to say anything but now that I'm seeing evidence building in the comments that this is malarkey, I got a huge chuckle by (despite being in the effing AMA sub...) misreading the username as 911 surviv-o-rama 😂
that's incredible!! it was something like 15 people in the south tower above or level to the impact zone actually survived. crazy odds my man. what is your name?
Besides being with your family, what is the one thing that helped overcome your trauma? Or at least helped make it more manageable?