New Delhi: The September 11 attacks, commonly known as the 9/11, is the deadliest terror attack the United States has experienced to date. The terrorist suicide attacks were orchestrated by Al Qaeda against the US on September 11, 2001. The terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners and crashed the first two planes into New York City’s Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. The third plane struck the Pentagon while the fourth plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania. The attacks killed 2,977 people and are also regarded as history’s deadliest terror attack.
While the tales of 9/11 have been mostly about the devastation, there are also stories of survival. One such survival story is that of Stanley Praimnath, who was among the few to come out alive of the South Tower of the World Trade Centre when the terrorist attacks took place.
9/11 attacks: Who is Stanley Praimnath?
Born on October 27, 1956, Indian American Stanley Praimnath survived the 9/11 attacks. He was an executive for Fuji Bank who worked on the 81st floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Centre. The South Tower was the second tower which was hit by the hijacked plane on that day. Praimnath was one of those 18 survivors from within or above the United Airlines Flight 175 impact zone.
How did Stanley Praimnath save his life?
Stanley Praimnath began to evacuate his office at the South Tower’s 81st floor as soon as the plane hit the North Tower. However, the security guards of the building told him that the building was secure, forcing the people to go inside the building again.
Stanley was calling someone from his office when he looked out of the building’s south side. A shiver went down his spine with what he saw: United Airlines Flight 175 approaching the building. He was taken aback by fear at first, but he regained his composure and dived under his desk at the last moment before the plane hit the building. The left wing of the plane destroyed his office and became lodged in a door 20 feet away. A bruised and exhausted Stanley was stuck in the debris, unable to escape.
At that time, Brian Clark, an executive of Euro Brokers and a group of his coworkers were thinking on the 84th floor whether to attempt to get out of the building using the stairs or to climb to the roof. Clark heard the cries for help of Stanley and reached him by following the voice. Meanwhile, many of Clark’s coworkers decided to climb up the stairs, a decision which proved to be fatal for all of them except one person named Ron DiFrancesco.
Getting out of the building
Clark found Praimnath, and they decided to descend the stairs. They found that despite debris, it was possible to go down the stairs. They continued down the stairs and went out of the building. As per reports, once they were out of the building, Praimnath and Clark stopped and looked back at it and the former said to Clark that the building ‘can come down’. At that very moment, the South Tower began to collapse.
They first went to 42 Broadway. From there, Clark went home to New Jersey while Praimnath went to the hospital. He went home later that evening and called Clark. The two men, who were strangers before 9/11, became friends and have appeared on several shows and documentaries telling their stories of survival in the face of destruction.
While the tales of 9/11 have been mostly about the devastation, there are also stories of survival. One such survival story is that of Stanley Praimnath, who was among the few to come out alive of the South Tower. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
