Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, British survivor Janice Brooks is preparing to return to New York to mark the anniversary, carrying the weight of her escape and the memory of 61 colleagues who perished.
Brooks, who had transferred to New York from London to work as an executive assistant for Euro Brokers, was on the 84th floor of the World Trade Center's South Tower when the attacks occurred. She had arrived in the city just 19 days prior to the tragedy.
On the morning of September 11, Brooks had arrived early at the Euro Brokers offices. As she worked, she heard a loud boom, initially mistaking it for construction noise. However, an urgent call from her former UK manager alerted her to the reality: "a plane's gone into the building, get the f*** out of there."
As Brooks began evacuating, officials directed people back inside due to overcrowding on the plaza. She was on the stairwell, ascending back towards her floor, when the second plane, United Airlines Flight 175, struck the South Tower, impacting floors 77 through 85. Brooks was on the 70th floor at the time of the impact, narrowly avoiding the direct blast.
Amidst scenes of horror, with dust, debris, and injured individuals emerging from the upper floors, Brooks and a small group found an alternative utility stairwell. She recounted witnessing severe injuries, including a woman with a severed arm and another with glass embedded in their chest. Brooks herself noted her shirt became covered in blood, not her own, as she was aided by a colleague who urged her to keep moving.
After reaching ground level, Brooks was directed towards the Brooklyn Bridge. Looking back, she saw the gaping hole where her office had been. Shortly after returning to her apartment, she witnessed the South Tower collapse, describing the event as "the gates of hell" opening, with a deafening roar and a cloud of black smoke engulfing Lower Manhattan.
In the aftermath, Brooks helped man a helpline for relatives of missing employees. With 61 colleagues confirmed dead, she struggled with the overwhelming number of funerals. Despite her directors' urging, she attended only 23 of the services, a decision she states she will "never forgive" herself for.
Brooks, now retired and a guest speaker for the UK-based charity Since 9/11, shares her experience with young people to educate them about extremism and tolerance. She will visit the 9/11 Memorial on the 25th anniversary of the attacks, hoping to impress upon the next generation the importance of remembrance. She noted that while she witnessed the worst of humanity on that day, she also saw the best of humanity in the strangers who helped her survive and reach safety.
Brooks keeps a vial of dust collected from her apartment on September 11, 2001, as a reminder of her survival. She expressed gratitude for the people who helped her that day, acknowledging her profound luck to be alive, especially when considering the 61 colleagues who did not survive.