American Heroes of 9/11: The Boatlift

Ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, the article focuses on the “Boatlift,” describing how Coast Guard Lt. Michael Day coordinated maritime evacuation efforts during the morning when communications collapsed after a plane struck the World Trade Center. Day, then chief of the Waterways Oversight Branch at Coast Guard Activities New York, was headed to a meeting at the World Trade Center when alerts came that a first plane hit, followed by a second. With no unified communications across agencies and no plan covering the exact situation, Day used a copy of the OPSAIL 2000 plan—an event blueprint with staging areas and evacuation points—to guide actions from a pilot boat. The piece describes watching the buildings collapse while broadcasting rescue guidance by radio.