boats approaching towers that are streaming with smoke
Courtesy of Reinauer Crew

The Amazing Boat Rescue of September 11

On one of the darkest days in American history, hundreds of boat captains and crews came together to save nearly half a million people 

By Allison Friedman
From the September 2021 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will read a narrative nonfiction article about a huge maritime rescue on 9/11. They will  identify details that help them understand what happened on that day and how rescuers and survivors responded.



Lexile: 700L-800L, 800L-900L
Guided Reading Level: S
DRA Level: 40
Other Key Skills: vocabulary, text features, key details, drawing conclusions, inference, compare and contrast, summarizing, synthesizing, formulating ideas, explanatory writing
Topics: SEL,
Download and Print
UP CLOSE: Main Idea and Supporting Details

As you read, look for details that tell you how people responded to a tragic day in American history.

Courtesy Thomas Panevino

Thomas Panevino with his dog, Eddie, in 2001

Eleven-year-old Thomas Panevino couldn’t believe his eyes. He stared in shock at the New York City skyline. Only a few hours earlier, the city’s two tallest buildings—the Twin Towers—had stretched toward the sky. In their place now was a huge dark cloud, like a monster looming over the city.

It was September 11, 2001. Two planes had crashed into the towers on purpose, causing them to collapse. Thomas and his dad were on a small police boat heading across the Hudson River toward New Jersey. All around them, dozens of other boats were carrying frightened people away from the scene of the attacks.

Thomas clutched a carrier holding Eddie, the family’s miniature poodle. Suddenly, he heard someone cry out, “The boat is sinking!” Thomas looked at the back of the boat. Sure enough, water was pouring in.

They were only about halfway across the river. Thomas fixed his eyes
on the New Jersey dock ahead. Would they be able to make it?

Eleven-year-old Thomas Panevino stared up in shock. He looked at New York City’s skyline. Only a few hours earlier, New York City’s two tallest buildings had been there. They were called the Twin Towers, and they stretched toward the sky. In their place now was a huge dark cloud, like a monster hanging over the city.

It was September 11, 2001. Two planes had crashed into the towers on purpose. This caused them to crumble. Thomas and his dad were on a small police boat. They were heading across the river toward New Jersey. All around them were dozens of other boats. Each one was carrying scared people away from the scene of the attacks.

Thomas gripped a carrier holding Eddie, the family’s small black dog. Suddenly, he heard someone cry out, “The boat is sinking!” Thomas looked at the back of the boat. Water was pouring in.

They were only about halfway across the river. Would they be able to make it to the New Jersey dock?

 Jim McMahon/Mapman ®

Thick Black Smoke

Just that morning, Thomas had passed by the Twin Towers on the 10-minute walk from his apartment to his middle school in lower Manhattan—the long, thin island at the heart of New York City. The glittering skyscrapers were part of a large complex called the World Trade Center. At 110 stories tall, they could be seen for miles around.

“If you get lost, just look for the World Trade Center,” his mom, Judi, had always told him. “You’ll find your way home.”

That bright and sunny day, Thomas had Spanish class first period. All of a sudden, at 8:46 a.m., a loud vroooooom cut through the air. Thomas and his classmates whipped toward the windows—just in time to see an airplane shoot across the sky and crash into one of the World Trade Center towers. Thick black smoke poured out of a gash in the building.

As the class began to evacuate, Thomas saw his dad, Vincent, rushing toward him. Vincent had been about to head to work when he heard the explosion. He rushed frantically to the school. Hurrying outside, the two of them tried to call Thomas’s mom. Every morning before work, Judi would get coffee with friends at a café in the World Trade Center. Had she made it out in time?

But the call wouldn’t go through. Thousands of other people across the city were trying to reach their loved ones. Cell phone signal towers were overloaded. Thomas and his dad decided to head back to their apartment to see if Judi was there.

Just that morning, Thomas had passed by the Twin Towers on his 10-minute walk to school in lower Manhattan. (Manhattan is a long, thin, island at the heart of New York City.) The buildings were part of a large complex called the World Trade Center. At 110 stories tall, they could be seen for miles around.

That sunny day, Thomas had Spanish class first period. All of a sudden, at 8:46 a.m., a loud vroooooom cut through the air. Thomas and his classmates ran toward the windows. They saw an airplane shoot across the sky and crash into one of the World Trade Center towers. Thick black smoke poured out of a hole in the building.

The class began to evacuate. Thomas saw his dad, Vincent, rushing toward him. Vincent was about to head to work when he heard the explosion. He rushed to the school. Hurrying outside, the two of them tried to call Thomas’s mom, Judi. Every morning before work, Judi would get coffee with friends at a café in the World Trade Center. Had she made it out in time?

But the call wouldn’t go through. Thousands of other people across the city were trying to reach their loved ones. Thomas and his dad decided to head back to their apartment to see if Judi was there.

Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock.com

THE TOWERS

The World Trade Center’s Twin Towers were two of the tallest, most famous buildings in the world. About 35,000 people worked in the towers, and about 70,000 others visited each day.

Under Attack

Meanwhile, on Staten Island, 5 miles southwest of lower Manhattan, a Coast Guard officer named Carlos Perez was on duty when an alarm went off at the station. The Coast Guard is the branch of the U.S. military that helps protect seas, lakes, and rivers. Carlos’s job was to help make sure boats traveled safely through New York City’s busy harbor.

Carlos stepped outside to find out what had set off the alarm—and saw flames and smoke curling up from the top of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. A plane has crashed into the tower by accident, he thought.

Within minutes, he and his team were speeding toward lower Manhattan in their boat. As they got close to the shore, they noticed that a nearby plane seemed to be flying too low. And it was heading straight toward the World Trade Center.

The team watched in stunned silence as the plane slammed directly into the South Tower. A giant fireball exploded out the side of the building. Now both towers were spewing out thick, dark fumes, like two giant chimneys rising up from the city.

This is no accident, Carlos realized. We’re under attack.

As Carlos and the rest of the world would soon find out, the attacks on the World Trade Center had been carried out by a violent group called Al Qaeda. The group was based in Afghanistan, a country in Asia. It was led by a man named Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden and his followers were terrorists—they used violence to “punish” countries that had views different from theirs. And the United States had become their main target.

On the morning of September 11, Al Qaeda terrorists took control of four airplanes and turned them into flying bombs. One hit the Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. military, near Washington, D.C. Another crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, but many believe it may have been headed for the White House or the U.S. Capitol. And the other two were flown into the Twin Towers.

Meanwhile, 5 miles away on Staten Island, a Coast Guard officer named Carlos Perez was on duty. The Coast Guard is the branch of the U.S. military that helps protect seas, lakes, and rivers. Carlos’s job was to help make sure boats traveled safely through New York City’s busy harbor.

Suddenly, an alarm went off at the station. Carlos stepped outside to find out what had set it off. He saw flames and smoke curling up from the top of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. A plane has crashed into the tower by accident, he thought.

He and his team sped toward lower Manhattan in their boat. Then they noticed that a nearby plane seemed to be flying too low. And it was heading straight toward the World Trade Center.

The team watched as the plane slammed directly into the South Tower. A giant fireball exploded out the side of the building. Now both towers were spitting out thick, dark smoke, like two giant chimneys rising up from the city.

This is no accident, Carlos realized. We’re under attack.

The attacks on the World Trade Center had been carried out by a violent group called Al Qaeda. The group was based in Afghanistan, a country in Asia. It was led by a man named Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden and his followers were terrorists. They used violence to “punish” countries that had views different from theirs. And the United States had become their main target.

On the morning of September 11, Al Qaeda terrorists took control of four airplanes and crashed them on purpose. One hit the Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. military, near Washington, D.C. Another crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. But many believe it may have been headed for the White House or the U.S. Capitol. And the other two were flown into the Twin Towers.

Courtesy Carlos Perez

In this photo taken in 2002, the year after the attacks, Carlos Perez (right) receives a military medal for helping rescue people.

“What Do I Do Here?” 

When Thomas and his dad arrived at their apartment, there was no sign of Judi. Thomas scooped their dog, Eddie, into his carrier while Vincent left her a note: “I have Thomas. He’s OK, and we have the dog.” Then they stepped back outside and headed further downtown. They had to get away from the smoking towers.

Out on the water, Carlos Perez was trying to shake off his shock. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘OK, what do I do here?’ ” he says. “You don’t train for planes hitting buildings.” That’s when, around 10 a.m., a loud rumbling noise started to fill the air.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Floor by floor, the South Tower was collapsing in on itself. The heat from the fires caused by the plane crash had melted the building’s steel frame. In just 10 seconds, the building was reduced to a pile of rubble.

Carlos and his crew watched in horror as an avalanche of dust rose up from the tower’s ruins. It raced through the city and then out onto the water, right toward their boat. Soon, it had swallowed them up. “Everything around me was just white,” Carlos says. He felt as if he were caught in the middle of a furious blizzard. Less than half an hour later, the second tower collapsed, releasing another monstrous wave of dust.

When it finally cleared, Carlos could see that thousands of panicked people were pressed against the railings along the water’s edge. Covered in a thick coating of gray ash, they looked like ghosts floating through a ruined land.

Now, Carlos’s mission was clear: He and his team would evacuate as many people as possible.

When Thomas and his dad arrived at their apartment, there was no sign of Judi. Thomas scooped Eddie into his carrier. Then they stepped back outside and headed further downtown. They had to get away from the smoking towers.

Out on the water, Carlos Perez was trying to shake off his shock. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘OK, what do I do here?’ ” he says. “You don’t train for planes hitting buildings.” That’s when, around 10 a.m., a loud rumbling noise started to fill the air.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Floor by floor, the South Tower was falling in on itself. The heat from the fires had melted the building’s steel frame. In just 10 seconds, the building was turned into a pile of rubble.

Dust rose up from the tower’s ruins. It raced through the city and then out onto the water, right toward Carlos’s boat. Soon, it had swallowed up Carlos and his crew. “Everything around me was just white,” Carlos says. Less than half an hour later, the second tower collapsed. Another monstrous wave of dust was released.

When it finally cleared, Carlos could see thousands of panicked people near the water’s edge. They were covered in a thick coating of gray ash; they looked like ghosts floating through a ruined land.

Now, Carlos’s mission was clear: He and his team would evacuate as many people as possible.

HENNY RAY ABRAMS/AFP via Getty Images

More than 150 boats of all shapes and sizes, like this sightseeing boat, raced toward Manhattan to evacuate people after the attacks.

Dozens of Boats

Thomas and his dad were among the people gathered at the waterfront. As the towers fell, they had become part of a growing crowd fleeing toward the southern tip of Manhattan. The city’s bridges, tunnels, and trains had been shut down for security. The water was their only way off the island. Fear rippled through the crowd at the shore. Would there be another attack?

Carlos and his team were picking up people as fast as they could. They sped back and forth across the water, carrying passengers away from the choking smoke. But no matter how many people they evacuated, the crowd of people waiting seemed to swell larger and larger. Carlos began to feel overwhelmed.

Then, at one point, he happened to look up and out over the water. And that’s when he saw the boats. There were dozens of boats, of all shapes and sizes: bright-orange ferries, hardy little tugboats, double-decker party boats, simple rafts. They were all speeding toward the shore to help bring people to safety.

Soon, the harbor front was crowded with so many boats that you could step easily from one to the other. Carlos directed them to spots where they could dock safely and made sure they were not too overloaded with people. Still, many of the boats were being packed with more passengers than they usually carried. Rescuers wanted to help as many people as possible.

That’s what happened with Thomas’s boat. He and his dad boarded a small police boat that was built for 10 passengers—but had been crammed with three times as many. The little boat began to sink beneath their weight soon after setting off.

Luckily, they made it to the dock in New Jersey just in time. Thomas and his dad waited there for hours, hoping his mom would get off one of the other boats. But she never did. Eventually, they went to stay with a family friend who lived nearby.

Thomas and his dad were among the people gathered at the waterfront. As the towers fell, they had fled toward the southern tip of Manhattan. Everyone wanted to get off the island. Fear rippled through them. Would there be another attack?

Carlos and his team were picking up people as fast as they could. They sped back and forth across the water. Each time, they carried passengers away from the choking smoke. But the crowd of people waiting seemed to grow larger and larger. Carlos began to feel overwhelmed.

Then, he happened to look out over the water. And that’s when he saw the boats. There were dozens of boats, of all shapes and sizes: bright-orange ferries, hardy little tugboats, double-decker party boats, simple rafts. They were all speeding toward the shore to help bring people to safety.

Soon, the harbor front was packed with boats side by side. Carlos helped them dock safely. He made sure they were not too overloaded with people. Still, many of the boats were being packed with passengers. Rescuers wanted to help as many people as possible.

That’s what happened with Thomas’s boat. He and his dad boarded a small police boat that was built for 10 passengers. But it had been crammed with about 30. The little boat began to sink beneath their weight soon after setting off.

Luckily, they made it to the dock in New Jersey just in time. Thomas and his dad waited there for hours. They hoped his mom would get off one of the other boats. But she never did. Finally, they went to stay with a family friend who lived nearby.

Matt Moyer/Corbis via Getty Images

Rescuers help people board a police boat.

An Unforgettable Rescue

The September 11 terrorist attacks shocked and horrified the world. Nearly 3,000 people were killed. More than 400 of them were firefighters and police officers who died trying to save people from the burning towers. Rescuers combed through the wreckage, searching frantically for survivors. But fewer than 20 people were found alive.

For Thomas and his dad, the night of September 11 was one of agonizing waiting, of hoping and fighting panic. And then finally, just after sunrise, Vincent’s cell phone rang. It was Thomas’s mom!

After the first tower was hit, police had led her uptown, where she spent the night at her sister’s apartment. When Thomas and his dad reunited with her later that day, she wrapped Thomas in a never-ending hug.

Now 31, Thomas says he will never forget the terror and darkness of September 11. But also unforgettable are the bravery and kindness of the boat crews who helped save his family and so many others that day. “The fact that they rushed toward the scene of something that’s so scary, and that they did it without a second thought, it shows who they are,” he says.

In just nine hours, people like Carlos Perez helped rescue nearly half a million people by boat. It was the largest maritime evacuation
in history.

“Everyone just sprang into action to help,” Carlos says. “These people put their lives on the line to save fellow New Yorkers. And that was pretty remarkable.”

The September 11 terrorist attacks shocked and horrified the world. Nearly 3,000 people were killed. More than 400 of them were firefighters and police officers who died trying to save people from the burning towers. Rescuers combed through the ruins, searching for survivors. But fewer than 20 people were found alive.

For Thomas and his dad, the night of September 11 was agonizing. They waited and hoped. And then finally, just after sunrise, Vincent’s cell phone rang. It was Thomas’s mom!

After the first tower was hit, police had led her uptown. She spent the night at her sister’s apartment. Thomas and his dad reunited with her later that day, and she wrapped Thomas in a never-ending hug.

Now 31, Thomas says he will never forget the terror and darkness of September 11. But he will always remember the bravery and kindness of the boat crews. They helped save his family and so many others that day. “The fact that they rushed toward the scene of something that’s so scary, and that they did it without a second thought, it shows who they are,” he says.

In just nine hours, people like Carlos Perez helped rescue nearly half a million people by boat. It was the largest maritime evacuation in history.

“Everyone just sprang into action to help,” Carlos says. “These people put their lives on the line to save fellow New Yorkers. And that was pretty remarkable.”

Nino Marcutti/Alamy Stock Photo

NEVER FORGET

Today, a new skyscraper rises up close to where the Twin Towers once stood. Near its base, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum helps people remember that day and honor those who lost their lives.

This article was originally published in the September 2021 issue.

This article was originally published in the September 2021 issue.

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Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

Table of Contents

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

SEL Focus, Close Reading, Critical Thinking

3. Skill Building and Writing

4. Collaboration Station

5. Differentiate and Customize

Struggling Readers, Advanced Readers, Multilingual Learners

6. Can’t-Miss Teaching Extras

1. Preparing to Read

Assess Prior Knowledge, Watch a Slideshow and Video, Preview Vocabulary

  • Start by assessing what students already know about  9/11. Have an open discussion, starting with the question “What happened on September 11, 2001?” (See tips below.)

  • Follow up by showing our Background Builder: September 11.

  • Show or assign the video “Behind the Scenes: The Amazing Boat Rescue of September 11” to further engage students in the topic and to preview the article. Have students complete the Video Discussion Questions in pairs or small groups.

  • Assign the Vocabulary Skill Builder to preview challenging words. Highlighted words: complex, evacuate, harbor, terrorists, rubble, monstrous, overwhelmed, agonizing, reunited,
    and maritime

  • Call on a student to read aloud the Up Close box on page 4.

Tips for Discussing 9/11 With Students

  • Listen to kids’ questions and concerns, and answer frankly, but don’t overload students with more details than they need to know. You can refer to this Fact Sheet from the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

  • Be sure to dispel misinformation and stereotypes that might come up in discussion. If students mention that the terrorists who hijacked the planes were Muslim, make sure to explain that the terrorists were practicing an extreme form of Islam that most Muslims do not agree with.

  • If students express fear, reassure them that they are safe and that many people are working to make sure we are protected from future attacks.

2. Reading and Discussing

  • Read the article together as a class or play our Author Read-Aloud with Allison Friedman.
  • Put students in groups to read the article a second time and discuss or write their answers to the close-reading questions. Talk about the critical-thinking questions as a class. Discuss the SEL Focus either before or after the critical-thinking questions.

SEL Focus

Resilience/Gratitude

Point out to students that Thomas Panevino made it through a terrible and deadly historic event—much like they have lived through the Covid pandemic. Thomas relied on people like Carlos Perez who came to the rescue, and today Thomas looks back with gratitude. Ask students: What has helped you get through the pandemic? In 20 years, what do you think you will look back on and be grateful for? Invite students to share their ideas with the class.

Close-Reading Questions

  • Reread the opening section on pages 4-5. Where is Thomas Panevino, and how does he feel? How does the author show you his feelings? (supporting details) Thomas is on a small police boat crossing the Hudson River. He is in shock because two planes just crashed into the Twin Towers, and these skyscrapers collapsed. The author shows Thomas’s shock by saying that he “couldn’t believe his eyes” and “stared in shock.” The cloud that hung where the towers had been looked “like a monster looming over the city.”

  • How do the photo and map on page 6 help you understand the section “Thick Black Smoke”? (text features) The photo shows the Twin Towers rising up into the sky. It helps you understand what Thomas saw every day and why his mom told him to look for them to find his way home. The map helps you picture where the towers were located and where Thomas lived. (It also shows New Jersey, where Thomas is headed in the first section.)

  • Reread the section “Under Attack.” What is Al Qaeda? (key details) Al Qaeda is a terrorist group that was led by a man named Osama bin Laden. It is responsible for taking over four airplanes on September 11, 2001, and crashing them into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania. 

  • Based on the section “‘What Do I Do Here?’,” how did Carlos Perez figure out what his mission was? (drawing conclusions) Carlos was stunned and horrified when he saw the plane crash into the South Tower and when the towers collapsed soon after. As a Coast Guard officer, he knew he had to do something, but he didn’t know what. But when he saw thousands of people, covered in ash and gathered at the water’s edge, trying to get away from the World Trade Center and clouds of dust, he knew he had to help evacuate them from lower Manhattan.
  • Reread “Dozens of Boats.” What did Carlos and his team do at first? Based on paragraphs three and four of the section, what can you infer about the many boaters who came to help with the evacuation? (inference) Carlos and his team picked up as many people as they could and went back and forth across the water, taking people to safety. You can infer that the many boaters who came to help were brave and selfless. They sprang into action to help others in a very scary and uncertain situation. They didn’t have to help, but they did anyway.

  • Based on “An Unforgettable Rescue,” how are Thomas’s and Carlos’s memories of September 11 similar? (compare and contrast) Both Thomas and Carlos remember the bravery and kindness of the people who came by boat to rescue people on 9/11. Thomas points out how people “rushed toward the scene of something that’s so scary” and says, “it shows who they are.” Similarly, Carlos says, “These people put their lives on the line to save fellow New Yorkers. And that was pretty remarkable.”

 

Critical-Thinking Questions

  • Based on the first four sections, summarize what caused the Twin Towers to collapse on September 11, 2001. (summarizing/synthesizing) On September 11, 2001, terrorists from a group named Al Qaeda took over airplanes and crashed them into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. The crashes caused huge fires in the buildings. Eventually, the heat from the fires melted the steel frames of the buildings, and the Twin Towers collapsed.  

  • Explain in your own words what you think a hero is. Who do you think were heroes on 9/11? (main idea) Answers will vary. Students might say that a hero is someone who does something extraordinary or brave or selfless to help other people. They will likely say that Carlos and the other boaters who helped in the maritime evacuation were heroes on 9/11. They might also mention the police officers and firefighters who went into the burning buildings to rescue people. Finally, students might know stories of heroism on 9/11 from other sources.

  • This year is the 20th anniversary of September 11. A big anniversary is often a time for reflecting and remembering what happened. What do you think would be a good way to remember the day and honor the heroes who tried to help save people? (formulating ideas) Answers will vary.

3. Skill Building and Writing

  • Distribute the Main Idea and Supporting Details Skill Builder or assign the Slide Deck. These are available on two levels.

  • As a class, look at the writing prompt in the Write to Win box on page 9. Have students use the main idea and details they gathered in the Skill Builder to help them write a paragraph. With a parent’s or guardian’s permission, they can send their paragraphs to our writing contest.

4. Collaboration Station

  • Arrange students in small groups. Have them discuss critical-thinking question number 9. Ask them to think of a project they could do to honor the heroes of 9/11—design a mural, write an article, write thank-you letters, etc.—then work together to carry it out.

Differentiate and Customize
For Struggling Readers

We have many resources to support readers who need simpler text or more scaffolding. You can share our printable lower-Lexile version of the article with them, or toggle the version in the digital article. Students can also listen to the author read-aloud of either level text as they follow along. Additionally, you’ll find lower-level close-reading and critical-thinking questions, our main idea and supporting details Skill Builder with extra scaffolds, and a lower-level quiz.  

For Advanced Readers

Ask students to respond to the writing prompt at the end of the article with a three-paragraph essay rather than one paragraph. Encourage them to find at least one additional source to add details about why the rescuers of September 11 are called heroes.

For Multilingual Learners

The author uses several similes in this article. Go over them with your multilingual learners, and explain that similes are comparisons that use like or as that help you picture the scenes in your mind. They include:

“In their place now was a huge dark cloud, like a monster looming over the city.” (p. 5)

“Now both towers were spewing out thick, dark fumes, like two giant chimneys rising up from the city.” (p. 7)

“Covered in a thick coating of gray ash, they looked like ghosts floating through a ruined land.”
(p. 8)

Can't-Miss Teaching Extras
Visit a Website

The National September 11 Memorial and Museum’s website has virtual visits, lesson plans, activities for kids, interactive timelines, and more. You can also find virtual professional development sessions there.

Read a Book

To explore the events of 9/11 through fiction, have students read Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story by Nora Raleigh Baskin. This middle-grade book visits the lives of four different kids in the days leading up to September 11 and looks at how each one was affected by the tragic events. 

Find More Resources

Visit Scholastic’s collection “Understanding September 11” to find more articles for students, lesson plans, book lists, and other resources. 

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