From 9/11 to Nigeria: seafarers are at the heart of safety

The ferry industry’s safety mission was etched into one Staten Island resident’s life during 9/11, when a flotilla of ferries, tugs, fishing boats and private craft headed toward Manhattan after two hijacked jets struck the World Trade Center. More than 500,000 people were evacuated from Manhattan in nine hours, including the author and colleagues. He later cites the “Miracle on the Hudson” on 15 January 2009, when NY Waterways ferries rescued dozens from US Airways Flight 1549. Interferry, founded as the International Marine Transit Association in 1976, is marking its 50th anniversary, with its FerrySafe project focusing on safety improvements for domestic routes in developing countries after deadly accidents in Africa.