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ipnmp Temp: 31 °F
Hi: 36 °F Miraculous tales emerge from rubble
Lo: 15 °F
Atlantic City Poconos By DENNIS CAUCHON and MARTHA T. MOORE
Gannett News Service
Metro Editor
Donna Jenkins The bodies of 2,803 human beings were buried when the World Trade Center
crumbled into 3 billion pounds of debris.

Miraculously, 20 people survived the collapse amid steel beams, concrete slabs
Archives and other wreckage. They escaped death in the most unlikely of ways and in the
Brainstorm most surprising of places. Fourteen people survived inside the remnants of a
Community stairwell at the center of the North Tower. One man remembers falling from a 22nd
Guide floor stairwell in the North Tower and regaining consciousness atop the 12-story-
deep pile of rubble at ground zero. Two police officers, trapped in debris between
Coupons the towers, barely survived both collapses.
Golf
In Memoriam USA Today took a comprehensive look at who survived the collapse and why.
Lottery Results The newspaper interviewed nine survivors and consulted construction experts and
Obituaries the architectural and engineering plans of the Twin Towers.
Photo Galleries
Recipes The survivors had one thing in common: All ended up near the top of the debris.
When the buildings fell ... the South Tower at 9:59 a.m., the North Tower at 10:28
Special Reports a.m. ... the towers compacted into a rubble pile that filled a six-story basement and
Search rose six stories above ground.
Store
Space.com Other people ... no one knows how many ... also survived the immediate
Today & collapse. They were heard on fire department radios, or their bodies, with no
Tomorrow apparent fatal injuries, were found days or weeks later, almost intact, inside
protective pockets deep in the tangle of steel and cement at ground zero. They could
Varsity not be reached in time because of the immense volume of the rubble.
Weddings and
Engagements On a day of terror, miracles were rare. For the 20 who survive today, the
difference between life and death was that they could see sunlight after the
Contact Us collapses or were with someone who could. It was, in the truest sense, a ray of
Contests hope.
Corrections
News Tips These are the survivors' stories.
Subscribe
'We'll get out of here'

Tom Canavan, 42, should have been long gone by the time the World Trade
Center towers collapsed. He worked on the 47th floor of the North Tower,
processing securities in the trust department of First Union bank. After American
Airlines Flight 11 struck his tower at 8:46 a.m., he delayed leaving to help put
securities back in the vault, and then got stuck in a congested stairwell. That's where
he was at 9:03 a.m., when the South Tower was hit by United Airlines Flight 175.

More than an hour after the first crash, Canavan walked through the lobby's
revolving doors into an underground shopping mall that connected the North and

http://www.southjerseynews.com/issues/september/m090802f.htm 5/26/2004
USATODAY.com - Miracles emerge from debris Pagel of 11

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Miracles emerge from debris
ogle
By Dennis Cauchon and Martha T. Moore, USA TODAY
Politics
The bodies of 2,803 human beings were buried when the
Politics home World Trade Center crumbled into 3 billion pounds of
Politics briefs debris. Miraculously, 20 people survived the collapse,
Latest polls amid steel beams, concrete slabs and other wreckage.
Political calendar They escaped death in the most unlikely of ways and in
Washington the most surprising of places. Fourteen people survived
inside the remnants of a stairwell at the center of the
Washington home
north tower. One man remembers falling from a 22nd
Washington briefs floor stairwell in the north tower and regaining
Government Guide consciousness atop the 12-story-deep pile of rubble at
Law Center Ground Zero. Two police officers, trapped in debris
Health between the towers, barely survived both collapses.
Health home
Medical resources New York
firefighters,
Health tools from left, Matt
Editorial/Opinion Komorowski,
Ed/Op home Billy Butler,
John Jonas Interactive documentary
Columnists and Sal
D'Agostino • Miracles: surviving the
Cartoons
survived the
More News collapse inside
Top news briefs a stairwell.
Nation briefs By Todd Plitt, USA
TODAY
World briefs
States Day 4: Surviving the collapse
USA TODAY took a comprehensive look at who survived
Lotteries the collapse and why. The newspaper interviewed nine • Miracles emerge from
Census survivors and consulted construction experts and the
Special reports architectural and engineering plans of the twin towers.
Day in news photos
Snapshots The survivors had one thing in common: All ended up
Offbeat near the top of the debris. When the buildings fell — the
Day 3: Escape route or death trap
south tower at 9:59 a.m., the north tower at 10:28 a.m.
Video headlines • Elevators were disaste
— the towers compacted into a rubble pile that filled a
Talk Today six-story basement and rose six stories above ground. • 21 trapped people imp
• Excruciating wait nearl
Other people — no one knows how many — also • Plunge just the start of
survived the immediate collapse. They were heard on
fire department radios, or their bodies, with no apparent

http://www.usatoday.com/news/septl l/2002-09-05-miracles-usat_x.htm 5/26/2004

American Experience The Center of the World - New York: A Documentary Film Page 1 of2

AMSRIC,- N
EXPERIENCE
Interview Outtakti

William Langewiesche:
video | transcript On;

The story of Pasquale Buzzelli is long and complicated. Typically it's full of
confusion. He was one of those people who, for reasons essentially of
confusion and not understanding what was going to happen -- no one did -
- stayed in the buildings, sticking to — He was a particularly well-behaved
fellow, as were the others who stayed with him, sticking to the approved
plan of — you know — wait for the evacuation order. So rather than
9?1 leaving, as the great majority of people did, whether on their own initiative
or on someone else's orders, these people stayed, fairly high in the North
Tower, and then were caught by the collapse during a descent of the
stairwells.
Feature Feedback
Tell us what you think Buzzelli was approximately on the 22nd floor, I believe, or in that
about "Interview neighborhood. He was fairly high up in the building. He heard the collapse
Outtakes" coming from above. It sounded to him like a boulder coming down on his
head as the floors progressed, pancaking down successfully. Bam, bam,
close window bam. He heard this thundering. And he didn't of course — And he knew
what was happening. He felt the building shaking. He was an engineer. He
had this sort of clearheaded technical ability to — and remained quite calm.
He also instinctively ducked, as one would duck with a boulder coming
toward one's head. And that's what it felt like to him. He went into a curl in
a corner of the stairwell. And then it all fell apart around him, and he felt
himself falling free. He kept his eyes closed. But he had all kinds of
coherent thoughts, including that this was — this reminded him of a ride in
a amusement park — I think, Great Adventure in New Jersey — and how
that "falling free" sensation was just like some big roller coaster. He had
those thoughts. He was -- He felt the debris against his face as he was
falling. And he saw with his eyes closed, he saw these bright flashes. He
was being hit by pieces of debris. He was getting bright flashes... behind
his closed eyes. Then there was a big final white flash, bright flash. And
when he woke up, he was on top of the pile, on top of a huge slab. He, as
far as he was concerned, hit the ground and woke up. The only thing is, it
was two hours later. So he was out for about two hours. He had no
memory or no concept of being out. But he knew exactly what had
happened to him. And, I mean, the amazing thing about Buzzelli's story is
that he was coherent about it. He could describe it in detail, what it was to
fall-- during that collapse.

Beyond that, the amazing thing is that he survived by landing on top of the
debris pile. So what was a peculiar thing in that collapse is that there -- the
entire building beat him to the ground. It beat him to the ground in two
ways. It — Because of the peculiar pancaking nature of that collapse, top to
bottom, systematically, by the time it caught up with him — the collapse --
most of the building had in a sense already collapsed and was already at
something close to its terminal velocity -- maybe not its theoretical
terminal velocity, but as fast as it was going to get — and passed him.
Basically the building passed him on the way to the ground. And so, you
know, he lost the race and survived. In fact, he had very little physical
damage. I believe he broke his foot, and — but he was stranded. Of course
he was disoriented. He couldn't move. He was up high on a slab.

And then he -- And there was a long story full of fear and certainty of
death, as fires approached. He looked up though, and he saw — he couldn't
understand what had happened before that even, that — I mean, he knew
the building had collapsed, but he couldn't — he still couldn't understand,
where was — Where was the South Tower — which by that time had

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/newyork/sfeature/sf_int_pop_09_01_tr_qry.html 5/26/2004
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Buzzelli Survives Free-Fall, Building
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POSTED: 12:19 p.m. EOT September 9, 2002
UPDATED: 5:26 p.m. EOT September 9, 2002

NEW YORK -- As the nation begins marking a

painful time, a World Trade Center survivor is
talking about his experiences on Sept. 11.

NewsCenter 5's Jack Desktop Alert

Video Harper said that
Pasquale Buzzelli was Get News And Weather Alerts Delivered To
on the 64th floor of Your Desktop
Tower One when the Download Desktop Alert, and get
plane hit the building. up-to-the-minute alerts:
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Watch Jack Harper's flights, I heard a
Report tremendous pounding
• Song For Hope from above and the Premium Weather
building started to
shake," Buzzelli said. Monitor Approaching Storms
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Buzzelli made it down to the 22nd floor when it path. Try it now! Already a
collapsed. subscriber? Log in here.

"I fell into a corner. I curled up into a fetal

position, and I closed my eyes, and I just started
praying. I felt the walls crack that I was next to. I
felt the slab underneath me and it broke free.
Everything just crumbled around me. At that point,
I knew the building was going," he said.

Buzzelli was one of three civilians to survive the

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/1656820/detail.html 5/26/2004
Firehouse.corn's 9-11 Coverage: News 9/9/02 - WTC Survivor Remembers Tumbling Do... Page 1 of 2

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NEW YORK, Updated 12:25 p.m. EDT September 9, 2002 As
Underwritten By the nation begins marking a painful time, a World Trade Center survivor
is talking about his experiences on Sept. 11.

NewsCenter 5's Jack Harper said that Pasquale Buzzelli was on the 64th
floor of Tower One when the plane hit the building.

"Within a couple of flights, I heard a tremendous pounding from above

and the building started to shake," Buzzelli said.

Buzzelli made it down to the 22nd floor when it collapsed.

LATE
Search for Emergency "I fell into a corner. I curled up into a fetal position, and I closed my
Services Victims eyes, and I just started praying. I felt the walls crack that I was next 9/11
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police, fire and EMS to. I felt the slab underneath me and it broke free. Everything just
responders lost on crumbled around me. At that point, I knew the building was going," he Manv
9/11. [Search Now] They
said.
New
Systt
Buzzelli was one of three civilians to survive the crash. He said that he Yean
still suffers nightmares.
FDI\
Also
"I just prayed the 'Our Father,' and I just tumbled with the building. I True
saw a few flashes of light from the impacts to my head. I knew I was Brotf
getting hit in the head. I didn't feel any pain from it when I was getting
hit. I think it was from shock or something. I felt a gust of wind, like a Regn
* sand blast type of effect on my body, just from falling.
-^ Supply Dad

"I felt the free-falling sensation of tumbling. Then I saw one huge flash
Elite
of light and I think that was the final impact. When I landed, something Rebu
hard hit me in the head. They say you see stars when you get hit in the

http://www.firehouse.com/terrorist/91 l/9_IBSsurvivor.html 5/26/2004

7Online.com: A Special Reunion Between A Survivor Of The WTC Attacks, His Family ... Page 1 of 2

EYEWIJNESS Makeover Your Mornin

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HOME NEWS I Wednesday, May 26,

Eyewitness News Si print story | H email story last updated: 11/30/2001 MOTHER'S D

A Special Reunion Between A Survivor Of

The WTC Attacks, His Family And The
Accu-Weather Firefighters Who Saved Him Mother's Day 2004! I
perfect excuse to let
Lottery (New York-WABC, November 30, 2001) — There was a very special appreciate everythin
Sports reunion Friday, between firefighters and a man they rescued from the you. Here are some
Entertainment World Trade Center. Firefighters also got the chance to meet the newest show you think MOI\t Here!
Health member of his family. Stacey Sager has the story.
Technology
Metro Traffic
Watch Stacey Sager's Report • 10 Fabulous Way
7 Community Mom
Event Calendar >. Louise Buzzelli, Survivor's Wife: "Thank you so much. Thank you so much
for bringing my husband home that day." I MOTHER'S I
About ABC7
Newi Bios •-
Contact Us « Her husband is Pasquale Buzzelli, and had it not been for several New CELEBRATI
Automotive York City firefighters, he would not have lived to see the birth of his brand YOUR TURN
new baby, Hope, who was born one week after September 11th.
DID YOU KN
Michael Lyons, Engine 228: "He told us that he was married, he had his
wife at home worried, he was worried about her and he knew she would be WEATHER
worried about him, and that he was expecting a little baby very shortly, so it
made it even more important to get him home." TODAY AT A GLAHC
Currently
There are few words that can even describe Pasquale's surreal descent
from the 64th floor of Tower One that day. He made it down to the 22nd
floor when the building began to fall. High: 66

Pasquale Buzzelli, September 11th Survivor: "I felt a big rush of wind,
almost like a sandblaster type thing. I just kept my face covered, and
eventually I felt myself free falling."

He fell down to the 6th floor, drifting in and out of consciousness and Metro Radar t
eventually landing on a five-by-five cement block, surrounded by what the • Get YOUR Local I
firefighters called a bird cage of wires and metal. It was firefighter Jimmy • 5-Day and Hourly
Kiesling who climbed above that metal with rope, and helped lower • Accu-Weather Te
Pasquale down.
• Bill Evans' Home

Jimmy Kiesling, Rescue 2: "The guys below told me, 'No, no, to the left, to Free! Desktop W<
the right,' where I could lower him. Where they would be able to grab him." j^j^F^^ Get s<
1 Warni
A girlfriend of one of the firefighters, who is also a Red Cross volunteer, did TRAFFIC
a computer search to arrange Friday's emotional reunion. It was a badly
needed happy occasion for a fire company that lost 11 men that day.
Check the Roads
Traffic Maps ...| T<
Louise Buzzelli: "And to my husband, just thank you for being alive, and for
being there for the birth of our baby. I know you had an angel on your
shoulder that day. Four angels."

Pasquale and his hope are now a symbol of four men's bravest hopes, that

http://abclocal.go.eom/wabc/news/WABC_113001_WTCreunion.html 5/26/2004
TIME: September 11 — 11 Lives — The Survivor Page 1 of5

TIME Nation Business

September 11

11 Litves

HOLY SPIRIT:
It's This Issue Praying in the Alo<
I COVER STORY sanctuary of her
One Year Later church in Brooklyn
As the Covt
anniversary of Sepl
9/11 nears, most
I Americans are • Na_nc;
still taking stock, wondering if Day o
life really has changed. For • Shatti
11 people profiled in this by Jai
issue, the answer is clear « Lance
Rage
Rudy Giuliani Retribu)
Building the right kind of » Cover
memorial Natioi

Michael Kinsley
Let's worry less about
terrorism
» Ameri
Andrew Sullivan
Remem
Why life will never be the
same
<• Sept.
Mernori;
Michael Elliott
Why life hasn't really
« World
changed
Your Pr
The Numbers
Tallying up the toll of Sept. PHOTOGRAPH BY CATRINA GENOVESE
11
* 11 L I V E S I THE S U R V I V O R
This Issue: Table of Contents •> Storie
Purchase This Issue
A MIRACLE'S COST
• TheV
Subscribe to TIME Genelle Guzman-McMillan was the last person found • TheF
alive in the debris of Ground Zero. Having cheated
death, she isn't quite sure how to live
By JOHN CLOUD
Shadow to Light
The attacks and
the aftermath Posted Sunday, September 1, 2002; 3:38 p.m. EST

W
hy isn't Genelle Guzman-McMillan dead? Nearly everyone
Choose:
High-speed | Low-speed else who had not left the Twin Towers by 10:28 a.m. on
Sept. 11 perished. Unlike those stranded on higher floors,
A City of Ashes Genelle, who worked for the Port Authority on the 64th
Eugene Richards floor of the north tower, could have left earlier, but she tarried, fearful and
captures a
grieving city uncertain like so many others. She was still walking down stairway B
when the building collapsed. Unlike so many others, she lived.

ht1p://www.time.com/tirne/covers/1101020909/asurvivor.html 5/26/2004