Crowther worked for Sandler O'Neill and Partners on the 104th floor of the South Tower. Witnesses report that after the plane hit, Crowther, with a red bandanna covering his mouth and nose to protect him from debris, reentered the building at least three times to rescue people.
Emphasis added. Had he merely led the first group of people to safety, we would rightly consider him a hero, and he could rightly consider it a good day's work. What makes the story, and the man, extraordinary is that he didn't. He turned around and went back in, when he was under no duty to do so.
He is directly responsible for saving the lives of at least 12 people....Crowther, with members of the FDNY, had been on their way back up the South Tower when it collapsed. |