This September 11th is the 19th anniversary of the tower falling.  Almost forgotten is the Flotilla of boats that formed to evacuate 500,000 people from Lower Manhattan.

The boat lift of half a million people from Lower Manhattan was done by a volunteer civilian flotilla that just showed up when the call went out.  The flotilla just materialized when the Coast Guard put out a Marine Assistance Broadcast asking any vessels that could help, to please report to Lower Manhattan to help evacuate stranded commuters.

Over the horizon came a motley mixture of ferries, tugs, tour boats and other vessels all headed toward Lower Manhattan to help.  What followed was a version of controlled chaos with nobody seeming to be in charge.  The Coast Guard  told the captains to load what was safe for their vessels, not what the vessel was licensed or inspected to carry.

More information about the Flotilla from my original Post: The Untold 9/11 Boat Lift Story

A tribute that shows what can happen when regular people step up when called, shows the best of people.

I choke up a bit every time I watch the video.

Please also see:  The Maritime Heroes of 9/11 Behind The 9/11 Boat Lift  for more information and another nice presentation.

Thanks for your interest in and support of Boating Safety.

 – c / m –