- Nearly 3,000 people died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States
- Roselle, a guide dog, helped her blind owner escape from the North Tower on 9/11
- Roselle led Michael Hingson and others down nearly 1,500 steps to safety
Nearly three thousand people were killed on September 11, 2001, when the unprecedented terrorist attacks shocked the United States. The terrorists attempted to bring the US to its knees, but the day witnessed many acts of bravery and resilience, with many stories continuing to inspire people across the world, even today, 24 years later. One such story is of Roselle, the guide dog, who helped save her blind owner.
On September 11, 2001, also called 9/11, al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked jetliners and smashed two of them into New York's iconic World Trade Center (WTC). A third plane hit the Pentagon, and the fourth hijacked plane crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. A total of 2,977 people lost their lives, and millions were impacted.
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Roselle, a yellow Labrador guide dog, played a heroic role in saving her blind owner, Michael Hingson, who was working on the 78th floor of the North Tower when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the building, just 18 floors above them.
As per a report by Pix11.com, after the airplane hit the building, Roselle remained calm despite debris falling around them. She guided Michael and about 30 others down almost 1,500 steps to safety.
As quoted in the report, Michael said: "Roselle was sitting, wagging her tail and yawning like, 'Who woke me up?' That told me that we could try to evacuate in an orderly way and panicking wasn't going to help."
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Roselle led them through smoke-filled stairwells and stopped when necessary to ensure safety. She even comforted a panicked woman along the way.
"When you go in somewhere, you do it from a standpoint of eyesight…you look at the signs," he said. "Well I know that doesn't really work for me — signs and I don't get along very well. And so I spent time once I started going in to the WTC, learning the complex."
"All the way down the stairs, the fact that I kept telling Roselle what a good job you're doing helped a lot of other people, because they saw me focusing and being in charge of my situation."
She guided Michael to a subway station, providing cleaner air, just minutes before the North Tower collapsed.
Roselle and another guide dog, Salty, received the prestigious Dickin Medal in 2002 for their bravery. Roselle was even named American Hero Dog of the Year in 2011. Later, Michael wrote "Thunder Dog" about their experience, and founded Roselle's Dream Foundation to support the visually impaired.
Roselle passed away in 2011, but her legacy lives on as an inspiration.
