“It was like breathing dirt.”

Abstract

This chapter discusses how, in the instant the South Tower collapsed, the scale of the disaster had magnified, transforming the evacuation-in-progress into a full-blown rescue effort. The cloud rolling past the seawall blanketed the river's surface and blinded boat captains, forcing them to navigate by radar alone. But sometimes even the radar could not penetrate the particle-filled air. Nevertheless, ferry crews did not stop rescuing people: approximately 200 injured would end up transported aboard New York Waterway ferries by day's end. Despite the unprecedented scale of this disaster, mariners' “jack of all trades” capabilities proved essential in the aftermath of the attacks. Although the specific prerequisites have changed over time, attaining a Coast Guard “ticket” requires merchant mariners to complete training and earn certifications in first aid, CPR, and shipboard firefighting, among other specialized areas. On that morning, all that training was put to the test.