A State College man’s account of terrorist attack in New York City on 9/11

(Editor's note: John Raynar, from State College, was a senior telecommunications major at Penn State in 2001 and interned with MTV and the Howard Stern show in Manhattan. He was one block away from what was the World Trade Center. This is his account of terrorism and the ensuing chaos he witnessed in New York City. This was originally published on Sept. 13, 2001.)

It is Wednesday afternoon. All over Manhattan you can see, hear, smell and feel the post mortem. There is a very eerie feeling in the air. Everything below 14th Street is shut down as rescue workers continue to search for survivors trapped beneath the rubble.

8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11: I wake up in my apartment in the downtown financial district at 12 John St. I am lying in bed trying to wake up after a good night's sleep.

8:45 a.m.: I am startled by a very loud noise, which sounds like a low-flying military aircraft traveling southbound on the island. This is very peculiar because planes never fly that route. Possibly 30 seconds after hearing the aircraft, I hear a loud explosion. I also notice lots of small pieces of paper falling from the sky. I jump from my bed and run to my east window on the eighth floor to see scores of people running in the opposite direction of the explosions. People are trampling over each other. I turn on the television to the local CBS affiliate to find that a plane has crashed into one of the twin towers of the World Trade Center. I then run to my living-room window that faces south to see the tower engulfed in flames. At this point panic sets in because my roommate, Verdi Contente, has already left for work in the World Trade Center.

9 a.m.: I hear the exact same series of sounds. A low-flying aircraft followed by another explosion. This time the south tower is hit. Again scores of people who were once observers are running for their lives. I now realize that we are under siege.

9:15 a.m.: My roommate buzzes up to the apartment and I let him in. I am overwhelmed with relief that he is alive and well.

9:45 a.m.: Verdi and I have decided to leave our apartment and go uptown. I am in the bathroom gathering my belongings, when Verdi starts pounding on the bathroom door. All of a sudden the ground is shaking beneath me. I then run out to the living room to find the entire sky has turned pitch black. I hear on the radio that the one of the towers has collapsed. I fear for my life.

Last March 10, I was in Miami on spring break and was stabbed in my right eye while being assaulted. I knew I was going to survive, perhaps go blind, but I was still going to live. Now things were quite different. When that first tower collapsed, and smoke and the debris started pouring into the apartment, I saw my entire life flash before my eyes. I thought it was all over. Initially, when we saw the smoke, we thought it was a kind of biological weapon.

We rushed to close the windows and run to the hallway, the only portion of our apartment that is away from the windows. I hear our buzzer go off again; apparently it is someone who is caught on the street trying to find safety. I get up to quickly unlock the door and then resume my position on the floor.

10 a.m.: The entire apartment is filled with dust and debris. It is very difficult to for us to breathe. We are both panicking, I am still online and asking my friends (in State College) what to do; they assure me to remain calm.

10:15 a.m.: Another tower collapses. The sky goes black again. Fortunately, our windows are closed, so no debris enters the apartment as it did when the first tower imploded. We take the same precautions until the ground stops moving, get up and try to look out the windows. Our visibility is minimal as everything is coated with dust. There is also a dense odor that smells like burning plastic.

10:30 a.m.: I go back online and tell my friend to call my parents to let them know that I am still alive. After realizing my communication is limited to instant messaging, my sister Laurel signs on and I speak with my family via Laurel's screen name. They instruct me to find neighbors. I then run upstairs and my neighbor, Joe, let Verdi and I into his apartment. His windows were closed at the time that both towers collapsed, so his apartment is much safer than mine. He has let other tenants seek refuge in his apartment, including a pregnant woman.

11 a.m.: I go down to my apartment and let my parents know that I am somewhat safe. I continue to go back and forth from Joe's apartment to mine, to get fresh air and correspond with family and friends. I then go downstairs to get dust masks for everyone in Joe's apartment from someone from the Red Cross who is handing them out, so we don't inhale the dust.

3 p.m.: Verdi contacts his friend, Grant, who lives on the Upper West Side on 71st Street and Broadway. He and I pack up our belongings and leave for Grant's apartment. As we walk out of downtown Manhattan, it looks like a war zone. Everyone is wearing dust masks and everything is covered in dust. The only people on the streets are firemen and policemen. Everyone on the street is in a universal state of shock.

5:30 p.m.: We arrive at Grant's apartment. The air is much cleaner toward the north end of the island. Verdi and I both have very bad headaches at this point and we are worrying as to whether they may be due to the chemicals we have inhaled.

8 p.m.: After contacting my family via phone (which was very difficult to do as all the circuits are flooded with calls), Verdi and decide to go get dinner and recap the day's events.

Midnight: I finally fall asleep.

8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12: Customers scramble for newspapers I wake up and try to get a bus home to State College. Unfortunately, there is no service out of the city. All roads are limiting travel and it is very difficult to get around in the city. Many of the subways have been diverted. But I'm not going to let my fears hold me back from doing my internships. Given what happened to me in Miami, safety is a big issue with me. That's why me and my dad shopped around to find an apartment in the financial district. But I'll be OK.

11 a.m.: I show up at MTV to find that no one is there; everyone has taken the day off. I have never seen Times Square so deserted.

2 p.m.: I return home and Verdi, Grant and I attempt to find a hospital where we can donate blood. Unfortunately, all of the blood drives in our neighborhood are closed for the day but will reopen at 8 a.m. Thursday. We decide not to travel to midtown to find a hospital since the thick cloud of debris is now making its way north.

4 p.m.: We are all now in Grant's apartment, watching the news and waiting to see what happens to this dust cloud. I am concerned about possible asbestos in my lungs and want to get it checked out by a doctor. I'm scared. I'm trying arrange to get a bus to State College Thursday or Friday to see my family and friends. I want closure for this entire ordeal. I think if I go home, I can. I just have to get out of here and make some sense of this.

Messages

What follows are a series of electronic instant-message exchanges he had with his sister, Laurel, 18, and a phone conversation he had with his mother, Paula, on 9/11. as told by former reporter Chance Connor.

Laurel (11:26.57 a.m.): John?

John (11:27.09 a.m.): LAUREL!!!!

Laurel (11:27.20 a.m.): Are you O.K.?

John (11:2749 a.m.): Yeah. I am in my apartment. It is filled with dust. Should I stay there? The dust is from when they (the twin towers) collapsed. The building isn't on fire, though.

Laurel (11:28.37 a.m.): Has any part of it been hit with anything?

John: No, I don't think so. I am still hearing explosions everywhere, though.

Laurel (11:28.56 a.m.): Dad says stay there and listen to instructions.

John (11:29.12 a.m.): I can't call anyone, my phone won't dial out. Tell mom I'm O.K.

Laurel (11:29.24 a.m.): Yeah, no one can call in or out; everyone is trying to.

John (11:29.24 a.m.): (Tell mom) that I love her and you guys too.

Laurel (11:29.42 a.m.): Is there anyone else with you?

John (11:29.42 a.m.): You can't call anywhere!

Laurel (11:29.50 a.m.): Not into New York. And people in New York can't call out.

John (11:30.20 a.m.): Yes, I'm with my roommate.

Laurel (11:30.31 a.m.) O.K., just make sure you stay together.

John (11:30.39 a.m.) They say they are evacuating everyone from lower Manhattan. But I have no place to go. Will I be O.K. with the dust in here?

Laurel (11:31.05): Try to get rid of as much of it as possible.

John (11:31.16 a.m.): I have no place to put it.

Laurel (11:31.24 a.m.): Trash cans.

John (11:31.31 a.m.): No, it's in the air.

Laurel (11:31.55 a.m.): Put something over your mouth so you don't inhale so much of it. Do you think it's too dangerous outside your building to leave?

John (11:32.31 a.m.) At this point, yes.

Laurel (11:32.42 a.m.): Then stay there till you think you can leave. Here, mom wants to talk to you.

John (11:33.05 a.m.): O.K., I love you guys.

Mom (11:33.13 a.m.): My darling -- tell me how you are. Please.

John (11:33.51 a.m.): I am O.K. Did Verdi's mom call you? Verdi was in the World Trade Center when it happened but was fortunate enough to get out.

Mom (11:34.25 a.m.): No one called here so far as I know. Can you breathe? Is it irritating your nose and eyes?

John (11:34.38 a.m.): I can breathe O.K. It's in my lungs but my nose and eyes are O.K.

Mom (11:36.19 a.m.): Don't smoke, put something over your nose (wet cloth) to keep the ash out. You are witnessing history. Think about what you are seeing and doing. Is Verdi with you now? I heard on NPR that the streets are deserted. Should you a part of an evacuation plan? Can you get to another level of the building and join up with people and get news?

John (11:36.44 a.m.): O.K., good idea.

Mom (11:38.42 a.m.): John, are you still on? Keep talking to us. You may want to try to get north of the island. See if you can find something out from people in authority. Are they evacuating? We understand that the people in Manhattan are evacuating.

John (11:39.18 a.m.): Listen, I'm gonna go upstairs and hang with my neighbor. He is real nice and said we can stay there.

Mom (11:39.54 a.m.): Please meet us at a certain time. We need news from you. You may want to call your friends here (in State College ) and let them know.

John (11:40.23 a.m.): I will get in contact with you somehow. I love you guys.

Mom (11:40.39 a.m.): I will be here all day if you need me, too. We love you with all our hearts. Please be careful.

Laurel (11:42.35 a.m.): Just stay in touch. Are you watching TV or listening to the news?

John (11:43.46 a.m.) I have to go now. I love you.

Laurel (11:43.55 a.m.) I love you too, John. I will be here. We just heard that there are gas leaks so DON'T SMOKE!!!!! There is a place called PS 89 which has food and drink and shelter. We are trying to find out where it is at.

John Raynar's account, relayed by telephone to his mother, about what he heard and saw in his apartment at Broadway and John Street in lower Manhattan at 8:45 a.m. Tuesday:

"I was getting ready to go uptown and heard a plane flying very low and loud. Then I heard a terrible crash. I looked out the window and saw smoke and fire coming out of the top of one of the towers. Then a little later the same thing happened again. I started thinking it was a terrorist attack and turned on the TV and radio. Then we lost the TV.

"My roommate, Verdi, works in the towers and he had already left for work. He came in right after that and said he rode the elevator down to the 60th floor of the tower and then ran down the stairs the rest of the way.

"Then, we heard a terrible crash -- louder than anything we'd heard before. My roommate yelled, 'John, what the f---'

"I thought that I was going to die. We decided to leave and heard the second tower go down. It got so smoky and dusty that it was black as night. We couldn't see anything.

"It's hard to breathe and my lungs hurt. There is still dust and rock everywhere. I hear explosions from time to time. A few of us have gotten together and we are staying for now in our building.

"The police said we should stay here until they say otherwise. Don't try to come and get me. I don't know how I could get out of the city for a few days at least."

This story was originally published September 9, 2016 at 11:51 AM with the headline "A State College man’s account of terrorist attack in New York City on 9/11."