Rick Rescorla Predicted an Air Attack and Saved 2,687 People on September 11

The rescue of 2,687 Morgan Stanley employees during the September 11, 2001 attacks gained prominence due to the central role of Colonel Rick Rescorla, who had warned years earlier about the World Trade Center’s vulnerability to aerial attacks.

The Prediction of an Air Attack

Rick Rescorla, born in the United Kingdom and a former soldier in the British Army and U.S. Armed Forces, took responsibility for the security of Dean Witter brokerage, later merged with Morgan Stanley, in the World Trade Center during the 1980s. After the 1993 truck bomb attack that left more than a thousand injured, he considered the complex vulnerable to new attacks. Rescorla warned the company about the possibility of a plane hitting the towers, suggesting that a cargo aircraft from the Middle East or Europe could carry explosives or chemical and biological weapons.

The Refusal to Move Headquarters

Despite Rescorla’s warnings, Morgan Stanley decided to remain in the World Trade Center. The company had a lease on the South Tower that ran until 2006, and moving headquarters would have incurred high costs. Faced with the impossibility of relocating the offices, the colonel focused his efforts on creating efficient evacuation plans to protect the thousands of employees working on the 22 floors occupied by the organization in the South Tower.

Rigorous Evacuation Training

Rescorla implemented a security protocol that included training conducted at least twice a year. During the drills, employees received commands via the internal communication system and were instructed to leave their workstations gradually and in pairs to avoid congestion in the emergency stairs. Although the military’s insistence on the protocol was mocked and resisted by some employees, discipline in the procedures was essential for the rapid evacuation on the day of the attack.

The Action on September 11

On the morning of September 11, 2001, when the first plane hit the North Tower at 8:46 a.m., Rescorla was in his office and immediately initiated the security protocols. He disobeyed the World Trade Center administration’s instructions, which advised South Tower workers to stay in place. The colonel ordered an immediate evacuation, stating that everything above the plane’s impact point would collapse and take the entire building. Less than 20 minutes later, a second plane struck the South Tower, confirming that a terrorist attack was underway.

The Final Sacrifice

While the evacuation was underway, Rescorla continued to ensure the safe exit of employees. According to reports, he was last seen ascending the stairs to verify that everyone had left the building. He called his wife, saying he would only leave once he was sure everyone else was safe. Rescorla and 12 other Morgan Stanley employees were unable to escape in time and died in the tower’s collapse. The U.S. Army acknowledges that he saved 2,687 people. His remains were never found.

With information from G1, Douranews, Jornal da Fronteira.