News

Actions

Boca Raton man shares his 9/11 survivor story

Posted at 5:07 AM, Sep 12, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-12 09:29:03-04

Fifteen years after the 9/11 attacks, it still feels like yesterday for Steven Greenberg.

"I'll never get past it," said Greenberg.

His story is now printed in a book with hundreds of others. Steven was on the 92nd floor of the South Tower on Sept. 11, 2001 for a training class.

"All of the sudden we felt the building shake a little bit," said Greenberg

The North Tower was hit first, and Steve and his coworkers start to evacuate, but at some point on their descent, they turned to go back.

"We took one step and 'boom,'" said Greenberg.

The second plane struck above them.

"We're all thrown to the ground," said Greenberg.

As he tried to make it out, he spotted a woman named Gloria who he just met that week.

"(She was saying), 'Hold on to me,' saying, 'Help me.' I said, 'We're going to get out,'" said Greenberg.

He helped her down the stairs and out of the building when the tower collapsed. There was debris and soot everywhere, and he helped Gloria to safety. 

Fifteen years later, Greenberg can't get the horror of the day out of his mind. To this day, he suffers from minor PTSD.

"If there's a plane in the sky I watch it until it's out of sight. Any kind of billowing smoke like a shuttle lift off or rocket lift off, I tense up," says Greenberg.

Steve talks to Gloria every 9/11. He says they have a special bond.

"We're best friends. We're family," he said.

It helps him get through this day each and every year.

Greenberg was in that training class with 12 people. Only four of them made it out alive that day.