A man captured in an iconic photograph walking away from the Twin Towers with a black briefcase on 9/11 has spoken about how missing an elevator and taking the stairs saved his life.
The image, which has become globally recognized after appearing on the front cover of Fortune magazine, shows him covered head‑to‑toe in white dust, still in his work attire, walking through the rubble of the deadliest terrorist attack in modern times. Speaking to The Mirror, Mr Fine says he still uses his briefcase and views it as a message to those who committed the attacks: they won’t win.
Mr Fine, now 83, kept the briefcase and the suit he wore that day, both of which have been cleaned. He explained that he was on the 79th floor of the North Tower when the Boeing 767 struck between the 93rd and 99th floors. He had an appointment on the 87th floor; after missing an elevator by seconds, he was forced to take the stairs. He believes that had he been in the elevator, he would not be speaking to us today.
His 84‑year‑old wife, Ingrid, said she did not hear from him for a couple of hours and did not know if he was dead or alive. The couple have two children, Stuart, 60, and Heidi, 57. The September 11 attacks resulted in 2,996 deaths, including the 19 hijackers and hundreds of fire service personnel, and involved both World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon.
