Monday, September 11, 2017

Not Ready to Die

"Tell God to blow the wind from the west."


            Kevin Cosgrove was an executive at Aon Corporation, an insurance company. On the morning of September 11, 2001, he was trapped in an office on the 105th floor of Two World Trade Center. He called 911 at 9:54 a.m.

911: What’s the telephone number I can tell FD to push up? What’s the telephone number you’re calling from?

            Kevin Cosgrove: I can barely see.

911: You can barely see?

            Kevin Cosgrove: 4-4-1-

911: 4-4-1-

            Kevin Cosgrove: -2-6-2-3

9-11: That’s on the 105th floor of the Northwest corner, right?

            Kevin Cosgrove: Right.

911: At number Two World Trade Center?

            Kevin Cosgrove: Right. Lady, there’s two of us in this office. We’re not ready to die, but it’s getting bad.

911: I understand, sir. We’re trying to get all the apparatuses there. I am trying to let them know where you are. Stay on the line.

            Kevin Cosgrove: Oh, please hurry.

Fire Department: Let me talk to the caller please. Let me talk to the caller. Where is he?

911: He’s on the line.

Fire Department: Let me talk to him. Where is the fire, sir?

            Kevin Cosgrove: Smoke really bad. 105 Two Tower.

Fire Department: Alright. Sit tight. We’ll get to you as soon as we can.

            Kevin Cosgrove:: They keep saying that, but the smoke’s really bad now.

Fire Department: That’s all we can do now.

            Kevin Cosgrove: What floor are you guys up to?

Fire Department: We’re getting there. We’re getting there.

            Kevin Cosgrove: Doesn’t feel like it, man. I got young kids.

Fire Department: I understand that, sir. We’re on the way.

911: He’s on the 105th floor in the Northwest corner.

            Kevin Cosgrove: He hung up on me. Hello, operator?

911: Yes?

            Kevin Cosgrove: Come on, man.

911: We have everything we need, sir.

            Kevin Cosgrove: I know you do, but doesn’t seem like it … You got lots of people up here.

911: I understand.

            Kevin Cosgrove: I know you got a lot in the building, but we are on the top. Smoke rises, too.   We are on the floor. We’re in the window. I can barely breathe now. I can’t see.

911: Okay, just try to hang in there. I’m going to stay with you.


            Kevin Cosgrove: You can say that, you’re in an air-conditioned building. What the hell happened?

911: Okay. I’m still here, still trying. The Fire Department is trying to get to you.

            Kevin Cosgrove: Doesn’t feel like it.

911: Okay, try to calm down so you can conserve your oxygen, okay? Try to…

            Kevin Cosgrove: Tell God to blow the wind from the West. It’s really bad. It’s black. It’s arid.  Does anyone else wanna chime in here? We’re young men. We’re not ready to die.

911: I understand.

            Kevin Cosgrove: How are you going to get my ass down? I need oxygen.

911: They’re coming. They’re getting you. They have a lot of apparatuses on the scene.

            Kevin Cosgrove: It doesn’t feel like it, lady. You get them in from all over. You get ’em in from Jersey. I don’t give a shit—Ohio.

911: Okay, sir. What’s your last name?

            Kevin Cosgrove: Name’s Cosgrove. I must have told you about a dozen times already. C-O-S-G-R-O-V-E. My wife thinks I’m alright. I called and said I was leaving the building and that I was fine and then — bang! Cherry. Doug Cherry. Doug Cherry’s next to me. 105. Whose office? John Ostaru’s office?

911: That’s where he said? That’s the office?

            Kevin Cosgrove: We’re in John Ostaru’s office. O-S-T-A-R-U.

911: -A-R-U.

            Kevin Cosgrove: Right. That’s the office we’re in. There are three of us in here.

911: Ostaru. Hello?

            Kevin Cosgrove: Hello. We’re looking in….We’re overlooking the Financial Center. Three of us. Two broken windows. Oh, God. Oh…

(The tower collapses.)

            Kevin Cosgrove's remains were found in the rubble. He was buried on September 22, 2011.
            He is survived by his wife and three children. He was 46 years old.

            Federal prosecutors used the recording of his phone call to help convict 911 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui.


MORAL: Try your best. That is all God expects. 

Buy the book "Courage 101: True Tales of Grit & Glory" at Amazon!

1 comment:

  1. You must have meant that Kevin's remains were found September 22,2001

    ReplyDelete

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