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Last survivor rescued from rubble of WTC speaks out
Guzman-McMillan was the last person rescued alive from the rubble of the World Trade Center after the towers collapsed. Trapped for roughly 27 hours, she survived beneath the debris before rescuers finally reached her on Sept. 12, 2001.
Now, a quarter-century later, she is opening up again about that experience — this time alongside her daughter — in an emotional conversation with ABC News' Robin Roberts.
Trapped Beneath the Rubble
Guzman-McMillan was working for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey when the attacks unfolded.
After the North Tower collapsed, she became trapped beneath an enormous amount of debris. She was surrounded by darkness, dust and the sounds of destruction, unsure whether anyone would find her.
She ultimately spent about 27 hours trapped in the wreckage before firefighters located her and pulled her to safety. She became the final survivor rescued from the World Trade Center rubble.
Her rescue became one of the few moments of hope during the devastating recovery operation.
A Rescue That Became Part of History
In the days after the attacks, rescue crews searched through an estimated 1.8 million tons of debris looking for signs of life.
Only a small number of people were ultimately pulled alive from the collapsed buildings. Guzman-McMillan was the last, rescued approximately 27 hours after the North Tower came down.
Her survival was considered extraordinary given the conditions around her.
Guzman-McMillan later described her experience in her memoir, Angel in the Rubble: The Miraculous Rescue of 9/11's Last Survivor, sharing the physical and emotional journey of being trapped and eventually finding a way back to her family.
25 Years Later, Her Daughter Knows the Story
For Guzman-McMillan, remembering September 11 is no longer only about what happened to her.
It is also about what that day means to the daughter she has raised in the years since.
Her daughter joined her for the ABC News interview with Robin Roberts, giving viewers a glimpse into how a survivor's story is passed from one generation to the next.
The conversation comes at a moment when an entire generation of Americans has grown up without firsthand memories of the attacks.
For children and young adults born after 2001, September 11 exists largely through photographs, videos and the stories of parents and survivors.
The Mystery of the Man Named Paul
One of the most remarkable parts of Guzman-McMillan's story involves a mysterious man she remembers encountering while she was trapped.
She has described a man named Paul who stayed with her and reassured her that rescuers were coming. Guzman-McMillan has never been able to establish exactly who he was.
Over the years, she has come to believe that the mysterious figure may have been an angel who appeared during one of the darkest moments of her life. Her account of that experience is also central to Angel in the Rubble.
A Story of Survival and Second Chances
Guzman-McMillan has spent the years since 9/11 trying to make meaning from an experience that could easily have ended differently.
Her survival story is not separate from the tragedy of that day. It exists alongside the nearly 3,000 lives lost in the attacks and the thousands of families whose lives changed forever.
This year, her story is receiving renewed attention as the 25th anniversary brings survivors and families back into the national conversation about what happened on Sept. 11, 2001.
A Lifetime film based on Guzman-McMillan's memoir, Angel in the Rubble, is also set to premiere Sept. 12, bringing her extraordinary survival story to a new audience.
Remembering What Came After
Twenty-five years later, Guzman-McMillan's story remains one of resilience amid unimaginable loss.
She survived the collapse. She was found when rescuers had every reason to fear there might be no one left alive. And she went on to build a life beyond the rubble.
Now, by sharing her story with her daughter beside her, Guzman-McMillan is helping ensure that the memory of September 11 — and the lessons of survival, courage and hope that emerged from it — continues to reach another generation.
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