Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : VOLTAIRE'S PORCH-MODERATED -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jill who wrote (41287)	9/11/2001 7:39:28 PM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 65232

The tale from a WTC survivor... NEW YORK (AP) _ Richard Cruz was getting off the elevator on the 92nd floor of the World Trade Center when the plane hit the tower across from him Tuesday. "There was mass hysteria, people were screaming,'' said Cruz, 32. "I heard a lady's voice saying "Go back! Go back! There's been an explosion!' I smelled smoke and I saw a lot of paper flying like confetti.'' Cruz rushed to the stairwell along with other panicked co-workers from Aon Risk Services, an insurance brokerage company, where he started work a month ago. At the 63rd floor, he decided to try to look out a window of one of the offices. "One side of Building 1 was engulfed in flames. People were yelling 'Oh my god! They're jumping, they're jumping out the window.' I looked down and I saw a lot of debris, and I saw blood spots. I saw the horror. That's when it hit me and I thought to myself "I have to get out of here.''' As Cruz rejoined the heavy stream of people on the smoky stairwell, the second plane hit. This time, it was his tower. "The whole building moved and it was swaying back and forth. I heard a muffled boom and I thought everything was just going to collapse. People were rushing and merging together and going crazy,'' he said. When he finally got to the ground floor, dust and smoke had darkened the air. Amid the debris that littered the ground, Cruz said he saw a burnt torso. As he turned away, he caught the eye of a co-worker. They exchanged shaky smiles and she said, "We're very lucky, aren't we?'' Cruz could only nod in agreement. Later, he said: "It's still surreal in my head. The reality of it hasn't hit me. Even though the World Trade Center has fallen and all these people are possibly dead. I'm just so lucky, I'm just so lucky.''