Joe Torrillo: 9/11 Survivor, Retired FDNY Lieutenant, Motivational Speaker
Team Never Quit
Marcus Luttrell
4.9 • 6K Ratings
🗓️ 11 September 2019
⏱️ 97 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Joe Torillo recounts his first-hand experience as a firefighter on September 11, 2001. Joe was directly below the North Tower looking up as the second commercial airliner slammed into it. What transpired in the next few seconds, minutes, hours, and days are nothing shy of unbelievable. He was propelled in the air by the concussion of the falling debris of the North Tower and was literally buried alive under the falling debris, with his skull open, arm snapped and suffocating in darkness. He was rescued and placed in a boat to cross over the Hudson River for medical treatment. That effort was disrupted by falling building debris that covered the boat, where he was buried alive again. Joe’s story is a gripping account of a series of miracles that kept him alive, while hundreds of others suffered a different fate. You won't want to miss this interview as we remember September 11th, 2001. Support the show.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome back to meditation mindset. Time spent alone is the most important. |
| 0:06.3 | Sir, are you still in the bath? |
| 0:08.3 | Yes, I'm listening to my podcast. |
| 0:10.8 | Can I come in? |
| 0:12.0 | No, no, no! |
| 0:13.4 | Just need to grab the core clipers. Don't worry, I'll cover my eyes. |
| 0:16.6 | What? Whoa! |
| 0:19.0 | Come on, we're gonna fall for you. |
| 0:22.6 | I'm still not looking. |
| 0:24.2 | And I'm not listening to my podcast. |
| 0:26.8 | Don't want batting. |
| 0:28.1 | Meir-hatting. |
| 0:29.2 | Simple, huh? |
| 0:30.4 | The Westwood One podcast network. |
| 0:35.1 | I never realized I was gonna live up to that vow that I took when I became a firefighter |
| 0:39.4 | that I one day give up my life, but if this is what it has to be, I'm fine. |
| 0:44.2 | As a decision, I made to become a firefighter. |
| 0:46.6 | So I accepted, just take care of my family. |
| 0:49.5 | And then I had a, you know, a flashback to the day that I was sworn in. |
| 0:53.8 | And I kept on saying to myself, you never thought you were gonna live up to that vow. |
| 0:57.7 | And I said, well, today is it, you know, like you never thought, |
| 1:00.9 | you know, when you woke up to sworn that it would all end this way. |
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