Summary
Highlights
The survivor recounts his morning, arriving at One World Trade Center, and taking the elevator to the 64th floor. The elevator violently shook, lights flickered, and upon returning to the 44th floor, he witnessed chaos with screaming people and heavy smoke, leading him to instinctually try to go back up to his floor.
Initially, the survivor believed the incident was isolated to the 44th floor. He found 15 other people on his 64th floor who had been told by security to stay in the building, to prevent clogging the staircases for emergency responders. He learned a plane had hit the North Tower, where he was located.
While on the 64th floor, the survivor called his wife, who informed him a plane had hit the building. His wife described the impact as 'pretty high' in the building. He urged his wife to get out, realizing the danger. He then heard about the second plane hitting the other tower, which deepened the sense of horror and disbelief.
Smoke started to enter their floor, prompting the group to finally decide to evacuate. They found the stairwell to be clear. As they descended, around the 40th floor, they encountered exhausted firefighters resting. One firefighter mentioned an elevator working on the 23rd floor, but the group opted to continue using the stairs.
Between the 22nd and 21st floors, the building began to rumble violently. The survivor, positioned on an intermittent platform, instinctively curled into a corner as the building collapsed around him. He describes the sound as a 'freight train' and the feeling of the floor giving way. He recounts thoughts of his family and a desire for a quick death as he fell, experiencing flashes of light and being sandblasted amidst the debris.