On December 18, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum welcomed viewers to listen to firsthand accounts from three first responders who experienced the events of September 11, 2001. The panel featured retired PAPD Detective Will Jimeno, joined by his rescuers, retired NYPD Emergency Service Unit Detectives Patrick “Paddy” McGee Sr. and Scott Strauss.
Will spoke about what drove him to stay alive as he fought to be rescued alongside his partner and mentor, PAPD Sergeant John McLoughlin, while Paddy and Scott shared that they never once considered leaving John and Will trapped — even as their own lives began to hang in the balance.
Attending the event were Port Authority Police Officers Bobby Pelc, a PAPD Bus Terminal Command PBA delegate, and Patrick McGee, son of Detective Paddy McGee and a member of the PAPD Bus Terminal Command.
The story of these first responders is one of extraordinary heroics and selfless courage that will forever be embedded in the history of the World Trade Center and the events of September 11, 2001.
