On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Michael Hingson was working on the 78th floor of the World Trade Center’s North Tower when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the building.
Hingson, who has been blind since birth, was not alone. Under his desk was Roselle, his yellow Labrador guide dog.
The impact shook the tower and sent confusion through the building. Hingson initially took shelter, but when it became clear that the building had been hit, he and Roselle began evacuating.
Rather than panicking, Hingson relied on the emergency plans he had learned for the building and on Roselle’s training. The pair entered a stairwell and began the long descent toward the ground.
They eventually made their way down nearly 1,500 steps. Along the way, Hingson and Roselle were joined by other people evacuating the tower. At one point, one of Hingson’s colleagues became convinced they were going to die, but Hingson continued moving calmly and focused on getting everyone down.
Roselle played a crucial role throughout the escape. Hingson later recalled that her calm behavior helped him remain focused rather than panic. She guided him through the stairwell while he used his knowledge of the building and information from people around him to navigate the unfolding disaster.
After approximately an hour, Hingson and Roselle finally reached the street.
But even after escaping the North Tower, the danger was far from over. As they moved away from the World Trade Center, the South Tower collapsed, sending a massive cloud of dust and debris through the surrounding streets. Hingson and Roselle were caught in the chaos but continued moving until they reached safety.
Roselle later became widely recognized for her role in helping Hingson survive 9/11. Hingson went on to share their story around the world, focusing on trust, teamwork and preparation.
His story remains one of the remarkable accounts of survival from one of the darkest days in American history.