The call came in for all Port Authority police officers to go back to the police desk. Will Jimeno, who had just graduated from the academy eight months earlier, knew something seriously wrong must be happening.<\/p>\n
In the reserve room, he saw NY1 reporting on the breaking news that American Airlines Flight 11 had slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center.<\/p>\n
At that time, many people thought it was an accident. But one of Jimeno\u2019s fellow officers did not.<\/p>\n
\u201cSergeant Ross, who had actually seen the plane out on 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue fly over us, he said, those are terrorists,\u201d Jimeno told NY1.<\/p>\n
The Port Authority had a command center at the World Trade Center, Jimeno said, since it owned the buildings.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were going down there to help evacuate and help our brothers and sisters get more people out,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
A bus took about 20 officers from the bus terminal on 42nd Street down to lower Manhattan.<\/p>\n
\u201cI stepped off the bus. And when I looked up and saw the big black hole, and all the papers and the destruction, I never thought that I would see war on U.S. soil,\u201d said Jimeno, who had served in the Navy. \u201cAnd that’s what I thought. We’re at war.\u201d<\/p>\n
At this point, the south tower had also been struck by United Airlines Flight 175. But Jimeno had no idea at the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we got there, we only thought that Tower One was in distress, not Tower Two,\u201d Jimeno said. \u201cI had seen the big, black gaping hole in Tower One, and I saw the corner of Two on fire. So I thought in my head, OK, the plane hit, blew up, deflected some debris.\u201d<\/p>\n
And he knew the situation in the buildings was dire when he saw people jumping.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were jumping by themselves. They were holding hands, and they would disappear behind buildings,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
But he also noticed something else: civilians helping one another out. He specifically remembers two men carrying a woman out of one of the towers who had a severe cut on her leg.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I thought to myself, if these civilians can be this brave, us in uniform, we really need to step it up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s when Sgt. John McLoughlin came to the bus looking for volunteers: Who knew how to use Scott Air-Paks?<\/p>\n
Those help first responders breathe fresh air in dangerous environments with smoke or toxic chemicals.<\/p>\n
His team would be going into the World Trade Center.<\/p>\n
Jimeno said in the academy, they learned how to use the Scott Air-Paks, since they cross-train on firefighting.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why he, Dominick Pezzulo and Antonio Rodrigues volunteered. They were all in the same academy class.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started running toward the buildings, which was very dangerous,\u201d Jimeno recalled in an interview with NY1 this summer. \u201cIt was scary. There were pieces of the plane, concrete, unfortunately, human remains.\u201d<\/p>\n
McLoughlin\u2019s team headed into the concourse underneath the north and south towers. That\u2019s where they saw Officer Christopher Amoroso, who joined them in their mission.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were making our way back from Tower Two to Tower One, and we were down this hallway when the explosion happened,\u201d Jimeno said.<\/p>\n
At the time, he had no idea what was happening.<\/p>\n
In fact, he said McLoughlin saw the wall of debris heading right for them and thought it was a car bomb.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a miracle there was a doorway to our right. So he said, run, run to the freight elevator, because he thought, if we can get to that elevator, the elevator beams might deflect the explosion around us,\u201d Jimeno explained.<\/p>\n
He said it sounded like a million freight trains heading for them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe roar of the devil,\u201d he said. \u201cThat’s how powerful it was, how violent it was. And it’s something I’ll never forget.\u201d<\/p>\n
And then: silence.<\/p>\n
The five Port Authority police officers were among the many in and around the south tower, buried underneath more than 110 stories of rubble.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a hole about 30 feet above me. It was letting light in, and I could see how bad I\u2019m buried,\u201d Jimeno said.<\/p>\n
McLoughlin immediately shouted for the four officers. Jimeno responded. So did Pezzulo.<\/p>\n
That was it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started calling Antonio Rodrigues by his nickname, A-Rod. And Chris Amoroso, just called him Chris. And I yelled their name for, like, two minutes, and Dominick said, \u2018Willie, they’re in a better place,\u2019\u201d Jimeno said.<\/p>\n
Jimeno admitted he was afraid when he got to the World Trade Center site initially. But being buried? He wasn\u2019t afraid anymore.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really switched over to survival. It switched over to, what can I do to try to get out of here?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Jimeno had a giant piece of concrete pinning him down. He couldn\u2019t move. He said he couldn\u2019t see McLoughlin, but later learned he was trapped in a fetal position, his helmet stuck in debris.<\/p>\n
Pezzulo was in a pushup position, debris surrounding him, according to Jimeno, but he was able to free himself, basically crawling over Jimeno\u2019s face. That\u2019s how little room they had between them.<\/p>\n
\u201c[Pezzulo] looked up and he could see the hole, the one hole that was letting light come in,\u201d Jimeno said. \u201cAnd he had told [McLoughlin], \u2018I can go up for help.\u2019 And Sergeant McLoughlin said, \u2018No, you got to get Jimeno out.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
While it is known not to leave someone behind in law enforcement, Jimeno said he and Pezzulo had an honest conversation.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe’s like, \u2018Well, I got a family home.\u2019 I said, \u2018Bro, I got a family, a home and a baby on the way,\u2019\u201d Jimeno remembered. \u201cAnd we talked about it. It’s just natural. We’re human beings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Instead of going out of the hole, Pezzulo worked to get Jimeno out. Jimeno was stuck.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s when Jimeno said that same roar happened.<\/p>\n
He had no idea the north tower was collapsing on them, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought I was going to die,\u201d Jimeno said.<\/p>\n
As more concrete buried him further, Jimeno said he thought he had moments left to live. He said he thought about his wife, Allison, who was seven months pregnant, and his 3-year-old daughter, Bianca.<\/p>\n
He said at home, he would often use sign language to tell them \u201cI love you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI took both my hands, crossbow in my chest because I figured if they find me, they’ll let Allison know that this is the way I found her,\u201d he told NY1, showing the sign for \u201clove you.\u201d \u201cThey found me. And, she would know. In my last moments, I was thinking of her and my family.\u201d<\/p>\n
But when the roar turned to silence, Jimeno was still alive.<\/p>\n
McLoughlin\u2019s screams of pain had gotten louder.<\/p>\n
And then there was Pezzulo. He got hit by debris and was badly injured.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said, \u2018I love you, Willie. Don’t let anybody forget that I died trying to save you guys,\u2019\u201d Jimeno recalled. \u201cI said, \u2018Dominick, I would never let anybody forget that.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Pezzulo took his gun and fired it once at where the hole was in the debris, hoping someone above would hear that and save them, Jimeno shared.<\/p>\n
It was a final act to save his brothers in blue. And then, Pezzulo passed away.<\/p>\n
McLoughlin told Jimeno they could soon die, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they don’t get to us by the morning, our bodies are going to shut down,\u201d he said his sergeant told him.<\/p>\n
He said he tried to think positive thoughts and think about his family. But it felt like an eternity.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like having 80 Chevy Suburbans placed on one side of your body,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s how much pressure was on me.\u201d<\/p>\n
And at one point, he was ready to give up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had been crushed. We had been burnt. Dominick’s gun later fired in the hole. We had bullets flying around,\u201d he said. \u201cI was ready to give up that evening, and I made my peace with God.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he had a vision that changed everything.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see a person with a white, glowing robe coming toward me. I couldn’t see his face. Just brown hair,\u201d Jimeno said. \u201cOver one shoulder was a tranquil lake and trees. Over the other was tall, endless grass. And he’s coming toward me, and I know it is. To me, it’s Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n
He snapped out of the vision and said he had the resolve to keep fighting.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery second. We really had to push. So when you say, what does it take to survive? It takes a lot of willpower and it’s something that everybody has,\u201d he said. \u201cYou just have to dig down deep and find it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He and McLoughlin would talk to each other to stay awake and positive.<\/p>\n
After 10 hours, Jimeno said he heard something above him: United States Marine Corps. \u201cCan anybody hear us?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rescuers were able to find Jimeno. He said they told him afterward it looked like he had been dumped in concrete.<\/p>\n
That began the three-hour process of getting him extracted from a hole so small Jimeno could only see two heads staring back at him.<\/p>\n
But Jimeno was still in danger.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey put an oxygen mask on me to get me some air, because I started to hyperventilate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
With so many fires still burning on the site, Jimeno said the three rescue workers trying to get him out were ordered to leave him, because there was a fire nearby.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey thought we weren\u2019t going to make it. And these guys said, \u2018No, we\u2019re not leaving them,\u2019\u201d Jimeno said, noting they risked their own lives to get him out.<\/p>\n
Jimeno said the three were NYPD Detective Scott Strauss, NYPD Detective Patrick McGee and paramedic Chuck Sereika.<\/p>\n
When he was finally extracted, Jimeno saw what happened for the first time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw the moon. I couldn’t see the buildings. I said, \u2018Where is everything?\u2019 And that’s when the firefighters said, \u2018It’s all gone, kid.\u2019 And that’s the first time I cried,\u201d Jimeno remembered.<\/p>\n
He was transported to Bellevue Hospital. On the way, he asked the paramedics: Where are the other people rescued?<\/p>\n
The response: He was it.<\/p>\n
Jimeno said he started crying again.<\/p>\n
In all, 18 people were rescued from the rubble, including Jimeno and McLoughlin.<\/p>\n
He almost didn\u2019t survive the night, telling NY1 he flatlined twice in the emergency room. When he woke up, his wife, Allison, was next to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI kind of made the \u2018I love you\u2019 sign with my hand, but my hands were so swollen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He had been crushed and diagnosed with compartment syndrome, which could have been fatal.<\/p>\n
Jimeno has a brace on his left leg to this day.<\/p>\n
Going home, he said, was a challenge. One that Allison quickly noticed.<\/p>\n
Jimeno said he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy am I alive? Why isn’t Dominick [Pezzulo], Antonio [Rodrigues], Chris [Amoroso], Bruce Reynolds, Dave [Lemagne], I can keep going on the list of people,\u201d he said. \u201cWhy aren’t they here?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jimeno said he thought about taking his own life multiple times.<\/p>\n
But he said he didn\u2019t get help until one day, when he said he was ready to throw a shoe at Allison for not moving fast enough to find the remote control he wanted.<\/p>\n
He said he stopped himself, jumped into his truck and drove off.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told myself, there’s something wrong with you,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I don’t know what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said work with a therapist helped him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe day I’m done with 9\/11 is the day they burn me,\u201d Jimeno said. \u201cBut up to that point, I have to be able to live with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he never planned on sharing his story. That is, until about two years after 9\/11, when one of his neighbors in New Jersey asked if he would consider speaking to his child\u2019s school.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe kids are afraid to get on planes,\u201d the parent told him.<\/p>\n
Jimeno told his story to the students.<\/p>\n
Other schools then started requesting Jimeno speak. It has since snowballed to universities and military groups, Jimeno said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn September 11th, we weren’t able to get people out ourselves. Our team, we went in there and then we needed to get taken out,\u201d he said. \u201cBut years later, because of our story or the film \u2018World Trade Center,\u2019 it’s helped people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Several times, people have told him that his story saved their life. He even decided to write two books to try to help people as they navigate their trauma.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jimeno is still in touch with McLoughlin.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe’s not only a friend, he’s family,\u201d Jimeno said.<\/p>\n
He has stayed in touch with some of the families of the Port Authority officers who died in the collapse. But for all of them, Jimeno said he keeps the promise he made Pezzulo nearly 25 years ago.<\/p>\n
He will always share their stories and say their names.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want people to never forget. And it’s a promise we made,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd it’s a promise that I will always keep personally, \u2018til the day I die.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The call came in for all Port Authority police officers to go back to the police desk. Will…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":339632,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[113412,3801,9,24,55,54,56,200,7037],"class_list":["post-339631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york-city","tag-9-11-25th-anniversary","tag-eric-feldman","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-new-york-city-headlines","tag-new-york-city-news","tag-ny","tag-vod","tag-world-trade-center"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/339631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=339631"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/339631\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/339632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=339631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=339631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=339631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}