Greg Carafello, 66, returned to work in the World Trade Center complex this year, a quarter-century after he narrowly escaped the South Tower on September 11, 2001. He now occupies an office on the 85th floor of One World Trade Center, the rebuilt skyscraper that stands on the site of the former Twin Towers.
Carafello was on the 18th floor of the South Tower preparing for a call when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower at 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001. He had arrived at work earlier than usual that day, having dropped his son at school. Unaware of the full extent of the unfolding tragedy, he and an employee began to evacuate via the stairwell.
"It took them 16 minutes just to get outside," Carafello told the Daily Mail. He recalled seeing the devastation of the North Tower, where his friend Jimmy Martello died on the 110th floor. The pair then attempted to descend to a lower level to catch a train out of the city, only to find the concourse level in ruins.
As they made their way back to the main concourse and sprinted across the street, Carafello witnessed debris falling. "Some people were just walking, taking pictures, and debris was falling all over," he said. Moments later, United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower, crashing through floors 77 through 85, exactly where Carafello had been minutes earlier.
"You knew it wasn't an accident. It wasn't a small plane. It wasn't any of the stuff that in your mind," he recalled. "So, at that point, everybody runs."
They headed towards South Seaport and eventually uptown, finding that Manhattan had been sealed off. They managed to secure a room at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Midtown after being turned away from other establishments. It was there, watching television footage of the attacks, that Carafello began to comprehend the magnitude of the event.
He did not return to Manhattan for six years after the attacks. In 2007, encouraged by his son, he decided to re-enter the Manhattan business market, purchasing a friend's business. Carafello began volunteering at the 9/11 Museum, which he describes as one of the most important things he has done in his life. He has found his volunteer work to be cathartic and is proud of his return to the area.
Carafello is believed to be the only business owner from the original World Trade Center complex to have returned. He plans to mark the upcoming anniversary by honoring the fallen at the museum, where he volunteers starting at 5:30 a.m. "This was not an accident… This was a murder scene," he stated.