Escaping 9/11

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Archive on 4: Escaping 9/11

BBC Radio 4 - Archive on 4, Escaping 9/11

A look back at programmes and recordings from the BBC archives.

Stephen Evans revisits an interview of Herman Belderok recounting his escape from the 73rd floor of Tower 1 on 9/11. For the first time his daughter listens to the interview.

In 2003 Stephen Evans, the BBC’s former North American correspondent and a survivor of the Twin Tower attack presented a documentary for BBC Radio 4 about radio ham operators who assisted with communication after the collapse of the Twin Towers. Whilst making this programme Stephen interviewed a ham radio operator called Herman Belderok.  During the interview Belderok recounted the dramatic, emotional and detailed account of his escape from  the 71st floor of Tower One, including the first plane hitting above him, the second plane hitting, then both towers falling.

Herman's experience of the 9/11 attacks shaped the man he is today and he now he wants to share what happened to him with his eldest daughter, Mary.  Mary has never spoken to her dad about what he experienced during and after 9/11.  For this Archive on Four, Herman has agreed to let us share his interview with Mary for the first time. 

From the moment the first plane hit Herman, bolted to the emergency exit and started the long journey down from the 71st floor.  On his journey down he had to use his survival instincts to guide himself out the building to safety.   

Stephen interviewed several other ham radio operators for  ‘Unsung Heroes’. As well as featuring Herman’s legacy since  9/11 we also re interview paramedic Scott Buell, who worked at Ground Zero and who lost his best friend when the towers collapsed and ham radio operator Mike Bartmon who worked with the Red Cross at Ground Zero.   

Producer Kate Bissell 
Presenter Stephen Evans

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