I was on the 84th floor of the South Tower - this is how I survived 9/11

Overview

A woman and 9/11 survivor describes her experience working on the 84th floor of the South Tower (World Trade Center) and the sequence of decisions, guidance, and coincidences that allowed her to escape. She emphasizes both the terror and the humanity she witnessed throughout the day.

Background and routine before the attacks

• She worked at Euro Brokers, a money brokerage firm, answering phones and supporting brokers.
• Her office was on the 84th floor of the South Tower, and her morning involved normal tasks like faxes and office correspondence.
• She had recently moved to New York, navigating personal changes and adjusting to a new routine and upcoming travel plans.

The moment the evacuation began

• A loud bang initially sounded like construction noise.
• Then a man’s voice shouted: “Everybody out! Everybody out!”
• She called her colleague/boss in London, but during the call she was informed that a plane had hit the building. She immediately ran to evacuate.
• In the confusion, staff herded her into the stairwell. She later notes that there was little immediate panic in the corridors at first—people seemed to be making small talk.

Confusing evacuation instructions and returning upward

• An announcement instructed people not to evacuate Two World Trade Center, explaining the plaza was being used for evacuees from the other tower.
• She and others evacuated down to around the 70th floor area (Morgan Stanley offices), then were told to return to their offices.
• She separated from some people who ran back up (including two colleagues she later names), then eventually rejoined the group moving in the same direction.

Near-total destruction inside the tower

As she moved through connecting corridors and stair areas, the tower experienced a massive secondary impact:

• Lights went out
• Ceiling structures collapsed
• Dust and dirt filled the air

She describes severe injuries to people passing through a doorway:

• Cuts and glass injuries
• Blood in the immediate exit path, underscoring the physical horror right where people were trying to escape.

Eventually, she and a small group were trapped by damage:

• Stairs became unusable
• Debris blocked routes

They later found a concealed door, used it to access a corridor, and continued moving.

The descent to the ground floor and the “walking wounded” reality

Outside the stair system, they navigated downward through darkness and unclear floor positioning—no markers for where they were.

She describes extreme injuries around her, including:

• A woman with an injured arm and bleeding heavily from her feet
• Blood-soaked clothing from another person’s injuries
• Her own realization that she was covered in blood (though a helper later reassured her it might not have been hers)

She reports continuous downward movement, shepherded by a man she calls Bob. Emergency personnel passed them while noticing they were injured but still moving.

Leaving the building via police guidance

At street level, the ground floor was chaotic:

• Shops and glass everywhere
• Responders running into the building

Two large police officers/authority figures instructed them:

• “Don’t look up. Don’t look back. Run.”
• They were told everyone was being sent over the Brooklyn Bridge, and they should evacuate from downtown Manhattan.

Bob led her in her direction of travel. Later, she checks her watch and says it was 9:43.

Her apartment survival, isolation, and calls for help

She reached her apartment (later described as 17th floor, overlooking the harbor) and found:

• The building in darkness
• Near-total loss of services (no electricity/water)

She watched collapse progression on TV, then heard a major roar and saw windows black out as debris moved and the atmosphere changed.

A woman named Sylvia called and coordinated possible access using a spare key tied to Sylvia’s husband (who worked at the World Trade Center). After guidance from a dry-cleaning/building-related contact, she learned the building was being evacuated—but later faced the reality that no one came promptly for her.

Evacuation from the apartment and getting to transit

• She used the fire escape to descend, wading through debris to reach ground level.
• After a blackout and getting the door open again, she emerged into a strangely silent environment filled with destruction and piled cars.
• An authority voice directed her: “Everyone this way!”
• She reached Canal Street, got through barriers, and boarded a train to Rego Park.
• There, she used a phone to contact her friend Eileen.

Aftermath: missing colleagues and mourning

She and Eileen learned that 81 Eurobrokers employees were missing, later adjusted as more information arrived:

• Ultimately reduced to 60, then 61 after further confirmation.

She later attended funerals across September, describing:

• A strong sense of community
• Emotional celebration of the deceased
• Deep guilt because she attended only 23 of the 61 funerals, feeling she didn’t do enough for the families

She also reports at least one medical death in their group, John, who died while in a coma with severe burns.

Reflections and conclusions

She describes escape as a “miracle” tied to finding a particular route, including what she calls the “legendary staircase A”—which she believes the plane clipped at an angle.

In conclusion, she says she believes someone “was looking out” for her, and that her purpose after that day became simply surviving and living well, rather than seeking grand adventures.

Presenters or contributors

• Janice (main speaker and survivor)
• Bob (man who helped her during the descent)
• Eileen (HR director; later contact/recipient of calls)
• Gil (her boss)
• Robin (her boss in London)
• Sylvia (caller coordinating the spare key)
• Kevin (Sylvia’s husband; World Trade Center worker)
• Paul, Bobby, Dan, Dominic, Brian, Steve, Jose, Jose (various coworkers mentioned as present/assigned during her movements)
• Michael (Gil’s brother; connected to Midtown help desk)
• Keith (mentioned with direction to attend funerals)
• Sue (mentioned as providing the list of missing people)