'Stone Phillips: 15 Years of Dateline'

"The Miracle of Ladder Company Six," 2001

Tommy Falco [firefighter]: I just heard the rumbling and the shaking. And I imagine we got knocked down the stairs. And I just remember laying down and, 'OK, this is it, you know. What's it going to feel like?' And I said, 'This is how it ends for me.'
Sal D’Agostino: In the stairwell, after I got blown backwards and found my helmet, I said a Hail Mary. And it's the only prayer I ever really remembered.  'Sweet Jesus protect me and forgive me of my sins.'
Matt Komorowski: An hour or two into the whole thing, I started seeing light at my feet. It was dim at first, and then all of a sudden, a beam of light shone at my feet. And that was hope that the outside was still there.

On September 11, the firefighters of Ladder Company Six had raced into the the hell that was the World Trade Center. On the crew were driver Mike Meldrum, a 20-year veteran; Sal D'Agostino, son of a retired firefighter; Tommy Falco, 18 years on the job; Matt Komorowski, 12 years; Bill Butler, the company's strongest man; and leading them that day, the first man into a fire, and the last one out, captain John Jonas.

And this woman will tell you they are all heroes.

Harris:  When I was scared, they held my hand. They took off their jackets and gave them to me when I was cold. They told me not to be afraid, they would get me out, and they did.

Josephine Harris, a grandmother from Brooklyn, had been making her way down from the 73rd floor of the second tower. She was so tired she could barely take another step, when she came upon the men of ladder six. 

Jonas: Billy's my biggest, strongest guy. I said, 'Billy, just put her arm around you and just--we'll do the best we can.'
Butler:  She seemed like she was scared. And I just--I said, you know, 'What--what's your name?' And she said, 'My name is Josephine.' And I said, 'Well, Josephine, we're going to get you out of here today.'

Progress was painstakingly slow.  Then they reached the fourth floor.

Jonas: That was when Josephine couldn't, she said 'That's it, I can't go anymore.’
Stone Phillips: So she stopped there?
Jonas: She stopped at the fourth floor.

At that moment, the building came crashing down.  Miraculously, they were still alive.  And reporting from the scene, I was astounded to see just how lucky they were.

They were scattered along what was left of the stairwell between the second and fourth floors; their small pocket of safety was one of the few spaces in the building that wasn't crushed in the collapse. As workers continued to clear away the rubble, you could actually see it.

By stopping on the fourth floor, Josephine Harris had saved herself and the men of Ladder Six.

Stone Phillips: Do you all believe that she is the reason you're all here?
Komorowski: Mm-hmm. Yes.
Meldrum: Definitely.
Tommy Falco: Definitely.
Sal D’Agostino: Yeah, I do.
Stone Phillips: If she hadn't stopped at that point in that stairwell...
Meldrum: It was her just picking, I guess, just the right spot. It was--it was her time to say, 'Guys, this is where we're going to make a stand,' I guess she's like our guardian angel. She must have been sent to us for a reason.

Harris: They are magnificent.
Stone Phillips: You know what they say? They say you are their guardian angel.
Harris: If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here today. I would not be sitting here.
Stone Phillips: How do you begin to thank them?
Harris: I don't know what else to do except give them a big hug

Two days after the interview, she did.

It was the first day they'd seen each other since that day of incomprehensible horror and unparalleled bravery.

Komorowski: Thank you for saving our lives.
Harris: Oh, thank you for saving my life.
Komorowski: God bless you, ma'am.
Harris: You too.
Komorowski: God bless you.
Harris: Bless you. 

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