Mark Englert’s Harrowing Experience on September 11, 2001

Mark Englert, a business consultant from Connecticut, was living just a few blocks from the World Trade Center in Manhattan during the events of September 11, 2001. On that morning, he had returned from a jog when the first plane crashed into the towers. Englert heard the explosion from his apartment but was initially uncertain about its origin.

Englert hurried to his window, where he witnessed people on the street gazing skyward, indicating that one of the towers was ablaze, possibly due to an airplane. Seventeen minutes later, another plane crashed into the second tower, overwhelming Englert with disbelief.

Initially unsure of what transpired, Englert’s building soon descended into chaos. Residents were running in panic, with no clear direction or guidance. Englert recalls the dust and darkness that enveloped the area amid a terrifying rumble, pressing his nose against the window to find visibility had vanished.

Recalling his neighbor, an elderly cookbook editor, Englert ran to assist her. With towels over their faces to shield against the dust, they attempted to find breathable air. In the ensuing scramble, they were directed to flee toward the Hudson River by an officer at Battery Park. Englert witnessed the second tower collapse as they neared safety.

The evacuation from Manhattan became the largest seaborne evacuation in U.S. history, ferrying roughly 500,000 people, surpassing the Dunkirk evacuation during World War II.

Englert, upon arriving in New Jersey, struggled to find words when contacting his mother, overcome by emotion. Although Englert returned to Battery Park City for years post-disaster, he avoided visiting memorials and consuming media related to the attacks due to lingering trauma. Englert is triggered by the sound of low-flying jets even today.

Englert’s story is a personal reflection on the lasting impacts of that day, a reminder of the indelible memories and scars carried by those who lived through September 11.