More than 1,100 people were trapped above the impact zones across both the North and South Towers. As conditions worsened and smoke and fire permeated the upper floors, they dialed 911, emergency services, and the Port Authority’s World Trade Center command post, hoping to speed rescuers to their aid, not realizing how dire their situation actually was. For 24 minutes, 32-year-old Melissa Doi—trapped on the 83rd floor of the South Tower—spoke to a 911 operator, waiting for a rescue that would never come.
