Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, Fort Worth couple Renee Cottrell Brown and Eric Brown have recalled how they escaped the World Trade Center Marriott, and how strangers helped them through the chaos that followed.
The couple had travelled to New York on business for Pro-Line Hair Care Corporation, founded by Renee’s father. They were staying in the hotel between the Twin Towers when the first hijacked aircraft struck the North Tower on the morning of September 11, 2001.
Renee had planned to exercise in the hotel’s glass-walled gym, directly above their room, but changed her mind and ordered room service instead. Moments later, the building shook violently.
“The whole building shook and immediately debris started to fall, and we knew something had happened,” Eric said.
Fort Worth couple’s 9/11 survival story
When Eric opened the door, a man running from the gym warned them that there was a fire above and urged them to leave. The couple fled down the stairs, with Renee still wearing a robe and flip-flops.
“He’s telling us, you might want to get out of here, there’s a fire in the gym. So, I was very glad I didn’t go work out,” Renee said.
Outside, emergency workers directed them through shattered glass and told them not to look up. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum records that the Marriott was destroyed when the Twin Towers collapsed later that morning.
When the Browns did look towards the buildings, they saw the scale of the disaster for the first time.
“You don’t expect to see a gaping hole in a building that’s right next to you,” Eric said.
Renee added: “Right, and the flames coming out.”
The couple also witnessed people falling from the towers. Eric said each person who jumped was met by screams from those below, while Renee recalled seeing some people holding hands.
Renee then saw the second aircraft flying low before it struck the South Tower. The impact sent a blast through the area and caused crowds to run for safety.
“You realize that thousands of people had just perished, and you’re running because you’re trying to, you know, it’s fear – flight and fight,” Eric said.
Strangers offer help after the attacks
As the couple tried to make sense of what had happened, they said they were supported by people they had never met.
A New Jersey couple took them into their home, gave them food and a place to wash, and helped Renee obtain medication she needed. Eric said another act of kindness came when he went to a RadioShack to buy a phone charger.
The shop assistant noticed the hotel key Eric was carrying, handed over the charger and refused to take payment.
“RadioShack’s not making any money off of you today,” the assistant told him.
For Eric, those gestures became a defining part of his memory of September 11.
“Out of all of this happening, all of this chaos, all of this death that was around us, I personally experienced humanity that came to the aid of Renee and I that I will never ever forget,” he said.
“There’s a positive story in this evil that happened on Sept. 11 that affected me profoundly.”
Living with the effects of 9/11
The Browns were among six colleagues from the Dallas-Fort Worth area who had been in New York for business. All six survived.
Eric later became ill and believes his health problems are connected to his exposure during the attacks. The couple continue to manage his condition while trying to approach each day with a greater appreciation of life.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says its World Trade Center Health Program provides medical monitoring and treatment for eligible survivors and responders, including people with certified respiratory, digestive and mental health conditions, as well as certain cancers.
For Renee and Eric, the memories of the hotel evacuation, the destruction around them and the help they received from strangers remain inseparable from the story of their survival.
