Writer says angel helped her after terrorist attack

In an example of the latter, a survivor spoke about what she believes was an angel who provided comfort as she lay entombed for over a day in the wreckage of her workplace.

The September 11 terrorist attacks on the twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center wreaked havoc and terror when two hijacked passenger jets were flown into the buildings, resulting in the loss of almost 3,000 lives.

As the towers collapsed, many managed to flee, but hundreds were trapped.

Genelle Guzman-McMillan, a Trinidadian-American writer, was the last person rescued from the rubble, 27 hours after the building came down around her.

Speaking recently on the Canadian YouTube podcast 100huntley, Genelle told her incredible story.

Employed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Genelle was working on the 64th floor of Tower 1, also known as the North Tower.

On September 11, 2001, at 8.46 am an American Airlines plane carrying 64 people crashed into the top floors of the 100-storey building.

As people realised it was a deliberate act of terrorism, a United Airlines aircraft with 44 on board flew into the South Tower.

Genelle was making her way down stairs to escape when the tower collapsed, burying her in concrete and iron debris.

In pain and unable to speak through dust in her mouth, she heard the sounds of the aftermath around her.

“I knew I wasn’t going to get out,” Genelle told interviewer Cheryl Weber, “and prepared myself to die…

TOP IMAGE: A Fireman signals for ten more rescue workers after the attack on New York’s World Trade Center.
(Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 1st Class Preston Keres - Public Domain Mark 1.0 Universal Licence)

“I just knew that I wanted to live because I wanted to see my daughter, Kimberly. She was twelve at the time. I just kept begging and praying, asking God to show me a miracle.”

In excruciating pain, Genelle put out her left hand “when someone grabbed me by my hand and called me by my name. They said: ‘Genelle, I got you. My name is Paul.’

“At that point I felt just a peace in my body. I went completely calm and knew God was there.”

In the long hours which followed, Paul kept hold of Genelle’s hand, telling her: “You’re going to be all right. Just hold on. Help is on the way.”

Pinned under masonry, Genelle never saw the person that held her and talked soothingly.

When the rescue team was near, Paul told her she must try to shout out. Genelle was eventually found.

Even as a team cut through steel girders to reach her, Paul kept hold of Genelle’s hand, but as rescuers removed concrete and freed her, he was gone.

Genelle spent the following month in hospital where surgeons managed to save her badly crushed leg. It took over a year for her to walk again.

Keeping a promise she made that if she was saved, she would live a more religious life, Genelle was later baptised, and insisted that she and her partner Roger should get married.

In 2011, Genelle published Angel in the Rubble, a memoir about her experience on 9/11 and the being named Paul. She is convinced he was an angel.

Genelle spent years trying to trace Paul, even appealing on a TV interview for information about him. The rescuers had seen nobody else when they pulled her from the wreckage.

“We never found Paul,” Genelle said, “so we’ve come to the conclusion that he truly was my angel.”

A film portrayal of Genelle’s ordeal and the angelic presence that helped her premiered last month on the History Channel.

Angel in the Rubble: The Genelle Guzman-McMillan Story starred Sherri Shepherd as Genelle. It was broadcast along with a number of films reflecting on the tragedy and terror that will always be known as 9/11.

According to official figures, 2,976 people were killed in the Twin Towers. A further attack took place on the Pentagon.

A fourth hijacking ended when passengers overwhelmed the terrorists, causing the plane to crash into the ground.

Thousands more people were injured. Many first responders are still dealing with adverse health effects from working in toxic conditions.