William Rodriguez, then 40, was the last person to escape the World Trade Center's North Tower as it collapsed on September 11, 2001. Working as a cleaner in the basement, Rodriguez recounted his survival, attributing it to a series of unexpected events and his own actions assisting others.
When the first plane struck the tower, Rodriguez was two stories underground. The impact caused a false ceiling to collapse, and sprinklers activated. Initially believing it was a machinery malfunction, he and 12 colleagues were unaware of the unfolding catastrophe above. A second, louder blast seven seconds later caused the entire building to sway violently, leading to cracking walls and the sound of metal and concrete giving way.
Rodriguez encountered a severely burned man, Felipe David, who had emerged from the basement with his skin peeling off his arms and face. Despite the man's horrific injuries, Rodriguez, using paper towels from a stockroom, began to tend to his wounds. With the help of a colleague, Rodriguez then guided David and others through the building's corridors to the loading dock and out to the street. Outside, he heard a radio announcement confirming a plane had hit the building and saw debris, which he later realized were people jumping from the flames.
Rodriguez noted that his survival was dependent on a series of near misses. He had called in sick for that morning, but his supervisor insisted he come to work. Arriving about 30 minutes late, he missed his usual routine of taking the elevator to the Windows of the World restaurant on the 106th and 107th floors. The restaurant's employees were among those who perished when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into floors 93 to 99. Rodriguez had been working at the Twin Towers for 20 years and had survived the 1993 bombing, during which he was trapped in an elevator, an experience that had haunted him.
Upon hearing screams from the freight elevator shaft in the basement, Rodriguez discovered two people trapped in waist-deep water from activated sprinklers. He prayed for the first time in his life and found an unsecured ladder, the longest one available, to rescue them. He then re-entered the building, using a master key he possessed due to a previous injury. This key allowed him to open locked doors on stairwell levels, enabling trapped individuals to reach the escape routes as elevators were non-operational.
He assisted firefighters by opening doors on upper floors, noting the difficulty they faced with their heavy gear compared to his lighter attire. He helped carry a paraplegic man, Ed Beyea, down several floors. During their descent, they heard cries from an elevator shaft, but it was too dangerous to investigate. They were then hit by a blast from the South Tower's collapse.
After bringing Beyea to the lobby, amidst thick, burning dust, Rodriguez was instructed to prepare an ambulance. Emerging outside, he witnessed the horrific aftermath, including dismembered bodies on the sidewalk. He saw the woman in the red dress from the 33rd floor, who had asked him for directions earlier, sliced in half by falling debris. As the North Tower began to collapse, he dove under a fire truck.
Buried in darkness with limited air, Rodriguez recalled his past interest in magic and escapology to manage his breathing. Rescuers eventually reached him. After receiving oxygen, he joined the rescue efforts, helping to dig survivors out of the rubble. He located and helped carry firefighter Salvatore Giambianco to safety on a gurney.
Rodriguez became an advocate for 9/11 survivors, particularly immigrants, and later married Elizabeth, a reporter from Ecuador who interviewed him.
