Welles Crowther

https://commons.wikimedia.orgCarol M. Highsmith [Public domain]Two-thousand-nine-hundred-nintey-six. The number of people killed during the 9/11 attack, 18 years ago. On September 11 2001, in New York City, two hijacked planes flew into the Twin Towers. Almost 3,000 people died, including a man named Welles Crowther, who lost his life saving 18 people during the attack. Born on May 17, 1977, he had always been devoted to his family. When he turned eight, his father gave him a red and white bandanna. The white was a pocket square and the red was a utilitarian, used to blow his nose. Throughout high school, Crowther had amazing grades, which earned him a place on the honor roll. After senior year, he attended Boston College, and later accepted a job in the South Tower, on the 104th floor. Crowther possessed the characteristics of thoughtfulness and selflessness. He thought of other people and what situation they might be in, and put others before himself. Welles Crowther is an inspirational hero who saved many lives.

https://commons.wikimedia.orgSvein-Magne Tunli [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]Crowther didn’t just run out of the building, leaving all of the helpless people behind, he remembered that each individual person has a family, a home, a life. Crowther had previously taken firematics classes after college, where he learned lots of emergency skills and rescue medical techniques. “This man organized a rescue effort on the floors high above where the official rescue workers were able to reach. He called for fire extinguishers, he found and directed dazed and confused victims to the only stairwell that was open for escape, and he carried a woman down to the 61st floor, then returned to the 78th floor to rescue more people” (Project, The Red Bandanna). Crowther had thought to taken rescue classes to help others; he wouldn’t have taken them otherwise. And because of the emergency classes, he managed to save lives. Welles had been inside the building when the attack happened, so, “... apparently, as his parents were now reading, he pulled it [his bandanna] out that morning before organizing a group rescue in the burning South Tower on floors not yet reached by firefighters” (Corey). The firefighters hadn’t reached that part of the building in time, so he took matters into his own hands and managed to rescued two groups of people. Welles kept in mind that these people had somewhere and/or someone to go home to, and that others would be affected if he didn't go up to help. Welles Crowther was a thoughtful person, and this is one reason that he is a hero.

https://commons.wikimedia.orgNightscream [Public domain]Crowther didn’t think about himself when he went back up to guide others down. He didn’t go up to gain a title or a medal, he went up to save the lives of eighteen people. Therefore, he is unselfish. Crowther would have gotten out safely, but, “Welles disappeared in the chaos of the WTC attack, but his family heard reports of a young man who'd guided people to safety from the 78th floor of the South Tower” (The Red Bandana: A Life. A Choice. A Legacy.). Crowther walked down 78 flights of stairs, after just climbing down 61. While others might’ve ran out of the building, he ran up, and back in. He had reached the 61st floor with a fire extinguisher when, “He used it to put out some blazes and assigned a woman, Ling Young, to carry it down the stairs while he carried an injured woman on his back” (Corey). Crowther carried extra weight while still walking down 61 flights stairs. He was most likely tired and breathless from all of the smoke, and carrying someone down stairs is very selfless. Welles Crowther is a hero because he took the time that he could’ve used to run to safety to risk his own life to help others. Fifty-thousand people worked in the Twin Towers. Two-thousand-nine-hundred-ninety-six perished, 6,000 were injured, so about 41,000 were alive and strong enough to help others, but only a few stepped up. Welles didn’t just help others on his way down. He went back up, risked his life, and saved people who would’ve lost their life.

Welles Crowther was a one-of-a-kind person. He was both a selfless and a thoughtful human being, who saved many that wouldn’t be here on this Earth today if it weren’t for him. He is a hero because he risked his own life in order to save others. Crowther carried extra weight and went up multiple times bringing survivors down. However, he sadly died after going back to save a third group of people, and was found with some firefighters. Welles Crowther could’ve been here with us today, but instead, he sacrificed his life for eighteen others. That is why he is a hero.