The Last Survivor of 9/11

Genelle Guzman-McMillian survived 27 hours buried underneath the debris and rubble left behind after two airplanes struck the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001, in an act of terrorism. She was the last survivor pulled from the wreckage.

Guzman-McMillian graduated from Northeast College on the sunny island of Trinidad before migrating to New York in the ‘90s.

Flight 11 Strikes the Twin Towers

At the time of the attack, Guzman-McMillian worked as a receptionist for the Port Authority of New York. The Port Authority had offices on the 64th Floor in the North Towers, Guzman-McMillian’s location at 8:46 a.m. as American Airlines Flight 11 struck the building. Five terrorists working as suicide bombers for al-Qaeda had hijacked the airplane shortly after its takeoff.

Guzman-McMillian and a group of employees from Port Authority felt the building shake as the aircraft crashed into the building, although nothing else too strange happened. Suddenly, papers and other office supplies dropped past their office windows. Smoke began to fill the air.

Minutes later, Guzman-McMillian and her group were notified that an airplane had crashed into the building. They were told to remain calm and stay where they were at. The group remained put for a few minutes but decided the best thing to do was get out of the building.

Building Collapsed; Guzman-McMillian Buried Underneath the Rubble

Guzman-McMillian and her group quickly ran down the now-empty stairs, reaching the 13th floor when they heard a loud bang. The North Tower swayed back and forth and without warning, collapsed beneath them, sending the group plummeting to the ground as debris and rubble from the wreckage piles atop them.

A second airplane, Flight 175, had crashed into the Twin Towers.

Rescue workers searched the debris for any survivors, coming across countless dead bodies and a few lucky people who were still breathing. Twenty-seven hours after Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower, sending it crumbling to the ground in pieces, rescue workers heard the faint cries of a woman pleading for help.

Guzman-McMillian Survived Her Injuries: An Angel Helped Her Survive

Despite sustaining two broken legs, numerous fractures, and life-threatening internal injuries, Guzman-McMillian survived the ordeal.

She was certainly one of the lucky ones that day. Approximately 2,700 people lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

According to Guzman-McMillian, an angel stayed by her side while she was buried under the debris. In her book, Angel in the Rubble: The Miraculous Rescue of 9/11’s Last Survivor, Guzman-McMillian describes a spiritual experience with an angel named Peter as she lay underneat the rubble. She says Peter provided he with strength and comfort that allowed her to survive what should have killed her.

Twenty-two years have passed since the tragic events unfolded on September 11, 2001. We will never forget that tragic day, the lives lost, and the survivors. We'll never forget the brave people who stepped in to help clean up, search through the debris, and otherwise support each other during the worst act of terrorism to ever occur on American soil.

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If you're interested in reading more about 9/11, be sure to start with the two stories below.