Mailing List Archive Mailing List Archive
Fortunately, some good news. Amazing... >From: "Christina M. Young" <christina@ch*.co*> >Reply-To: <christina@ch*.co*> >To: "Michael Barnette" <aocfishman@ho*.co*> >Subject: RE: are you OK? >Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 01:03:02 -0400 > >Hi Mike, >Yep, we're all okay here. All of us in the NJ tech diving community were >very worried about John Chatterton yesterday, because his work trailer was >stationed only 35 feet away from World Trade Center tower #2 (he was the >leader of a crew of commercial divers who worked in underwater caves >underneath the WTC and WFC). When the first plane hit, I heard it on the >radio while driving to work.... I called John on his cell phone, no answer, >I left a message - didn't hear back from him all day, and everyone we dive >with were calling each other to see if anyone had heard from him. Dan >Bartone finally called around 6 pm, saying he had heard from Richie Kohler, >and that John made it out alive. I called several others to relay the >news, >and John finally called me around 8 pm. > >He told me that he sent his guys into "the hole" (leading to the caves), >when he remembered he had to make a phone call. He went back to the >trailer >to make the call, and was inside when he heard a wooshing sound immediately >followed by two loud bangs. He rushed out to see what happened and saw >that >tower #1 had appeared to explode at the top. It started raining very fine >glass shards, and he ran back into the trailer for shelter. Then it >started >raining larger debris. When it tapered off, he went outside and saw that >some people that were standing around looking up were now dead, killed by >chunks of concrete raining down. He ran about 100 yards to "the hole" to >get his men out, passing by injured and dead people laying in the street. >He said he could see people falling from the top of the tower - there was >no >escape for those that worked on the floors above where the plane hit, it >was >a "pick your death" scenario. He said he could see people breaking >windows, >and some just clinging to the side of the building. > >When he got to "the hole", the second plane hit. He succeeded in getting >his men out, and they ran to where the ferries from NJ dock (in their >diving >gear).... they were waiting behind a concrete bulkhead for the ferry to >arrive, when a tower collapsed, taking out the ferry dock as well. They >were protected by where they were standing. The ferry came and just rammed >into the sides, trying to get as many people as possible. John jumped onto >the ferry and made it out. He said that everyone was really helping >everyone else, especially the injured, to get out. He cut up his sweater >to >use as face masks for himself and others. > >He lost everything... his job, his car, his wallet, his commercial dive >gear - but at least made it out with his life. Although today Paul Klein, >who has been working in the search & rescue efforts, found John's trailer >upside down and bent into a "V" shape. He saw his diving gear inside >(Kirby-Morgan helmets, etc). He was not allowed to take it, but called >Bill >to try to contact John. > >Anyway, that's a summary of what John told me last night. We had a >beautiful overnighter on the Carolina this past weekend on the Depth >Charge, >and all day yesterday I worried that it was the last trip with John. We >were all extremely relieved when the good news about him arrived yesterday. >Frankie Pellegrino (NYPD scuba) is also working on the SAR efforts. > >Christina Michael C. Barnette Association of Underwater Explorers Because it's there...somewhere...maybe. http://www.mikey.net/aue _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
Navigate by Author:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Subject Search Index]
[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]
[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]