As terrorists brought down the World Trade Center on 9/11, marking the worst terror attack in U.S. history, it became increasingly difficult to evacuate Lower Manhattan. Thousands ran south to the water’s edge, trying to escape the raging inferno, only to realize they were stranded on the island with no way out because the tunnels were closed and subway service halted.
Spontaneously, a fleet of around 150 maritime vessels, including passenger ferries, tugboats, merchant ships, private vessels, and New York City Fire Department and Police Department boats, jumped into action and rescued between 300,000 to 500,000 people from the disaster zone in Lower Manhattan, taking them to New Jersey and Brooklyn.
On Oct. 23, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum hosted a screening of “Boatlift,” an award-winning short documentary narrated by Tom Hanks, which tells the untold and heroic story of the largest maritime rescue in country’s history and the firsthand accounts of boat captains and passengers.
The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated the rescue, and the short film reminds of the selfless acts of New Yorkers who jumped into action, saving many lives.
Following the screening, Noah Rauch, senior vice president of Education & Public programs of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, led a conversation with the film’s director, Eddie Rosenstein, U.S. Coast Guard Safety & Security Division Chief John Hillin, former FDNY Chief Marine Engineer Gulmar Parga, and NY Waterway Captain Richard Thornton, reflecting on the massive, improvised yet orderly evacuation.
Accomplished Emmy-nominated filmmaker Rosenstein produced “Boatlift” in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and described the attacks and what followed as America’s finest example of people coming together in tragic moments.
“The people in my company, including Rick, went and met dozens of captains to see if this is actually real and to put them on tape and see if we can pick a bunch that might be able to…
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