Dying Father Saves Daughter’s Life on September 11

On September 11, 2001, Madeleine Cunningham was employed as an auditor with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.  Their offices were located on the 86th and 87th floors of the south tower of World Trade Center 2. Thirty-nine of her co-workers perished on that terrifying day and she could have been one of them, however Madeleine had bittersweet fortune of not being in the office. This is just one of so many stories that happened on that historically tragic day.

Last Minute Changes – Out of Office on September 11

Madeleine and her 9-year-old daughter, Catherine were visiting the Philippines to see family,  in particular her father who was in an accident and broke numerous bones in his frail body. They left for the Philippines in June 2001 with plans to come back to New York before Labor Day, in time for Catherine to start school.  In late August, preparing to come home, Madeleine’s father had now become very ill and was again hospitalized.  Her father was sick and her daughter needed to get back to New York to start the school year. She was in a bind. What was she to do?  She decided it would be best to stay with her father and found a way for Catherine to do her missed school work and send it back via FAX.  She notified the airlines to change her flight, returning in mid to late September.

September 11, 2001 –  9:03 AM

At  9:03 AM United Airlines Flight 1175 crashes into the south tower of World Trade Center 2, which collapses at 9:59 AM.  Everyone vividly recalls where they were when they first saw the news on that tragic day. Madeleine was safe at her parents’ home. Her brother called and told her to watch CNN. Her first thoughts when she saw the towers collapse: “Oh my God, what happened to my co-workers?”.  She was lucky not to be in the office that day.  Had she not made changes to travel, she would have been on the 86th floor of World Trade Center 2.  She didn’t have office contact information and wasn’t able to communicate with anyone from her office.  It was a long tragic day for her and the rest of the world.  Lucky to be alive and wondering what could have been.

Father Hospitalized and Passes Away

She told her father news of the attack while he was in the hospital.  The hospital didn’t have a television and he wasn’t able to see the devastation.  He wasn’t feeling well, yet he was glad that she was safe with family. He understood his daughter could have been in that building. She was lucky to be alive, yet her father’s prognosis was not looking good. On September 25, 2001 her father passed away of natural causes.

Memories of Co-workers

Thirty-nine of her co-workers perished and only one body was found from their office. Search and rescue teams recovered the body of Chow Lam on the roof of the adjacent Deutsche Bank building. Mr. Lam’s office was located right next to a window. Reports indicate the impact from the second plane threw him from his office window and sent him falling to his demise on the roof of the Deutsche Bank Building. Mr. Lam’s wife felt fortunate, at least they had his body.  Other grieving families did not have a body nor complete closure.

Rose Riso was the fire warden of the floor and she took the responsibilities of the role seriously.  She saw the plane hit Tower 1. She had a keen sense and told her co-workers that smoke from the first tower would spread to Tower 2.  She told people to get out of the building. Some listened and some didn’t.  Little did they know Tower 2 would be attacked next. Numerous co-workers lives were saved because they listened to Rosie. Ms. Riso did not make it out of the building.

Return Home after September 11

Madeleine came home in early October and the world was changed.  All personal possessions left in her office were obviously gone. A very small price to pay, she was alive and well. She and co-workers that survived were never the same. The first three months after the attack were the most difficult. Work days were long and slow.  They would be at work yet their minds were somewhere else. One-on-one counseling was available to those in need. So many people had stories to tell.  So many brave men and women died and made tremendous sacrifices, and we will never know their story.  Many of her friends said her father saved her life. Madeleine’s father died and she was able to tell her story. 

Do you have a September 11 story to tell? We’d love to have you share it below.