The Lives They Saved: The Untold Story of Medics, Mariners and the Incredible Boatlift that Evacuated Nearly 300,000 People on 9/11

by L. Douglas Keeney

The Lives They Saved is the story in artifacts and oral histories of the 300,000 New Yorkers who were evacuated from Manhattan on 9/11…by boat. It is a story that has not yet been written about or told. It includes hundreds of oral histories and many photographs of this high drama, set against the terrifying backdrop of the day when the Earth stood still, every airport in the U.S. was closed down, and Manhattan was seized by gridlock. For perspective, the boatlift that saved Britain’s expeditionary force from the beaches of Dunkirk removed approximately the same number of 300,000.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Terrorism

264 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 15, 2021

About the author

L. Douglas Keeney is an author, historian, commentator and speaker with twenty-two books in print from Simon & Schuster, St. Martins/Macmillan, HarperCollins and Lyons Press. Keeney’s passion is to unearth the lost stories in world history and in those stories find the fabric of the people we are today. To that end, Keeney has written about events as seminal as 9/11 and World War II, as entertaining as the fashionable roots of the French Riviera, as revealing as the profiles of such luminaries as Curtis LeMay John F. Kennedy, and Franklin Roosevelt, and as unusual as those who pioneered international aviation and travel into space. He is an engaging speaker who has entertained hundreds of audiences across the nation.

Keeney’s books have been well reviewed by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Naval Institute Press, slate, The New Yorker and more than one hundred other newspapers and magazines.

He has a master’s degree in Economics, is a pilot and scuba diver and was the cofounder of cable TV’s The Military Channel. He has appeared as a subject matter expert and commentator on Fox TV, CBS, PBS, The Discovery Channel, The History Channel, The Learning Channel, and on numerous radio shows.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some books you finish and right away you write the review, with a book like this I think it takes serious processing time.
What can I say? How do I feel or what do I even write?
This story is absolutely gut wrenching and truthfully or shamefully one I wasn’t aware of.
I always like to read about September 11 around this time of year and this book hit the mark for me.
I knew about the boats the led massive people to safety but I really didn’t know about them and how many times have I ridden the Staten Island Ferry or the Seastreak?
I think it’s so important to know as much as possible about September as to truly never forget!
Again, I’d highly recommend this! I loved how it was written because it was easy to put down and then come back to it because with books like this sometimes you need that.

So many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my gifted ebook copy.

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing stopping this book from getting five stars are the errors missed in the editing process. At the beginning of chapter 42 the first two paragraphs are nearly identical as though someone messed up a copy and paste the job. There were other errors as well, mainly punctuation and typos.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My annual 9/11 book, and one of the hardest to get through, Simply gut-wrenching. There was so much in this book that I actually did not know about.

-The nail Salons that passed out flip-flops to the women running barefoot
because running in heels is impossible
-The "guy next door" who just happened to decide to take his boat out on such on a beautiful day. Then ended up ferrying people away to safety.
-The Coast Guard Captain who borrowed a boat from New Jersey. The boat had a panoramic view and allowed him to become "Water Traffic Control".

This is the story of the Ferry boat captains, the EMT's, the ordinary people who did extraordinary things that day. As I said, gut-wrenching and not for the faint of heart. I had to take it in small doses. Well worth the time and tears.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rather quick but worthwhile read about the lesser known emergency medical services and boat evacuation stories of 9/11. The book spans a 24 hour period starting the evening of 9/10. The details paint a vivid picture of the disaster and its aftermath. Of particular note were the description of the WTC plaza after the impact but before the collapses. (There isn’t much footage of that place in that timeframe - I didn’t realize the extent of the human carnage in the plaza beyond “the jumpers”.) A significant amount of the content was comprised of direct quotes from the 9/11 digital archives. The book would make great reading material for any sort of emergency planning or nautical history course.

But, where was the editor here? There are numerous type set errors, a few grammar/spelling errors, and then there’s the first page of Chapter 42 - the proofreader clearly went on vacation and didn’t get the job done.

The other critical comment is that the writing feels like a tv documentary. There was repetition and each chapter ended with a sentence that felt like a narrative cliffhanger.

Had it not been for the numerous errors I would have given this 5 ⭐️ based on content. Unfortunately, in the end, the errors became a distraction.

[Amy Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book from the library - when I saw it, the documentary "Boatlift" narrated by Tom Hanks came to mind. I only read about 1-2 nonfiction books a year...this was a great pick. This was a truly horrific day in our nation's history, but reading about the helpers reminds me of the courageous and heroic response that occurred that day. This book was extremely thorough in breaking down hour by hour the rescue operation by mariners. Highly recommend!!!

[David Mattingly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Untold Story of Medics, Mariners, and the Incredible Boat Lift that Evacuated Nearly 300,000 People from New York City on 9/11. L. Douglas Keeney. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Co., 2021. 256. Hardback $26.95.

David A. Mattingly

One only need mention 9/11 and most people recall the confusion that spilled from their televisions and radios throughout the country. September 11, 2001 was a beautiful day with clear skies in New York when the world turned upside down as two planes careened into the World Trade Center towers. New York City streets were soon a melee of victims, survivors, and first responders who quickly clogged the streets around and the approaches to the World Trade Center. Authorities soon saw New York Harbor as the porthole in which to evacuate the injured and survivors from Lower Manhattan.

Bestselling author and documentary producer L. Douglas Keeney has compiled the story of the evacuation of Lower Manhattan using New York Fire Department oral histories, digital archives from the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media, and the George Mason University American Social History Project / Center for Media and Learning in addition to news reports written about the waterfront. He has diligently compared stories to ascertain facts and deconflict reported locations and times. For example, in early reports it was estimated that between 500,000 and 1,000,000 people were evacuated, however, after closer examination the number was more realistically set at 270,000.

To sum it up, September 1, 2001, represents the largest single day boat lift in history and one of the greatest rescues in modern history.

New York Harbor is one the world’s largest ports with over 4,000 ship arrivals each year in addition to local dinner cruise boats, ferries, tugs, personal craft, and government vessels. Keeney noted that, on average, 91,000 people use the ferries to commute into Manhattan. The World Trade Center is located at the southern tip of Manhattan. After the planes crashed, major roads rapidly clogged with emergency vehicles and normal New York traffic. It was immediately apparent that to get away from the danger, a person needed to head towards the waterfront on the Hudson River. Without knowing what was happening, captains onboard the various boats transiting the Hudson or tied up nearby reacted to the smoke spewing from the World Trade Center by heading to the Manhattan Waterfront.

The ferries did not return empty to Manhattan after the wounded and survivors disembarked in New Jersey or other triage locations. Keeney writes in great detail how the ferries carried fresh firefighters, medical personnel, food and supplies back to ground zero. Fire boats that were ineffective to pump water on to the fires became pumping stations sending water to ground zero through a hose system to replace the destroyed hydrants and water pipe system. Coast Guard boats provided security and monitored the harbor for debris and obstacles that would interfere with navigation.

It would be the large ferries that would rescue most of the people that day, while small craft contributed by picking up smaller groups that were in several small coves and marinas in the area. In addition to assisting in the boatlift, law enforcement vessels took up security positions around the bridges and other sensitive sites including the Statue of Liberty

To coordinate the effort, the U.S. Coast Guard enlisted the help of a New York harbor pilot with in-depth knowledge of the harbor to create a “traffic control” ship. The Coast Guard turned to the Sandy Hook Pilot Ship New York which could provide a 360-degree view of the harbor from the height of 60 feet with a full bank of radios to communicate with official and civilian domestic and international ships. Having been pressed into Coast Guard service, the Coast Guard flag was raised on the New York and Coast Guard caps were distributed to reenforce the Coast Guard’s authority.

We got on the radio and said, “United States Coast Guard aboard the pilot boat New York all mariners we appreciate your assistance…Anyone wanting to help with the evacuation of Lower Manhattan report to Governors Island.

Keeney goes into detail explaining the special security situation which law enforcement authorities and the U.S. Coast Guard faced after the realization that the nation was under attack. More than 100 “vital assets” that were critical infrastructure or particularly sensitive had to be protected in addition to approximately 100 freighters, tankers, and lighters carrying dangerous cargo in the harbor. Within 25 minutes, the Coast Guard ordered the “ultimate protection” by closing the harbor. Coast Guard Stations in the area positioned a picket barricade of patrol boats to block the harbor entrance, not allowing any ships to enter. Coast Guard units along the east coast quickly got underway or, in the case of smaller craft, were loaded onto trailers to be transported to New York. Coast Guard Port Security Units traveled from Virginia and began patrolling in their camouflage boats as a show of force. Coast Guard cutters were positioned to protect oil refineries. For the Coast Guard, it was an all-hands effort!
However, Keeney does not write about the U. S. Navy’s contribution to securing the port or recovery. According to a Naval Historical Foundation article published on the 10th anniversary of the attack, The New York Mayors Office requested the Navy’s east coast hospital ship USNS Comfort ordered to New York. It was noted in the article that it was the first time the Comfort was used in the Federal Emergency Response Plan. Keeney may have chosen not to include this information in that the Comfort did not arrive on scene until two days after the attack.

Keeney has created an interesting narrative of what happened on 9/11. It is a compelling story of what happened both at what came to be known as “ground zero” and in New York harbor. He writes of how mariners and rescue workers combined forces to evacuate, as quickly as possible, the injured and survivors to safety. The book provides unique insight into what was happening in New York and is highly recommended to both those with an interest in maritime security operations as well as readers interested in the history of 9/11.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Look for the helpers”, Mr Rogers advised children who were frightened by disaster. L. Douglas Keeney here offers a spyglass to readers. Instead of fixating on the flaming towers, the clouds of smoke filled with dust, jet engine fumes, and god-knows-what-else, he directs our attention to the waters around Manhattan, where the largest evacuation in human history was happening, largely ad-hoc. There was no FEMA plan for “Civilian-Led Evacuation of Manhattan”: emergency services plans for treating disasters at the WTC complex largely fell apart when the debris from the Towers covered roads. Keeney tells — or rather, allows the participants to tell — the story of how that boatlift happened, of how NYPD’s marine units, the Coast Guard, private ferries, tugboats, pleasure craft, etc all began casting their eyes toward the seawall and moving to help those they could. This is not a book exclusively about the boat evacuation, though: more broadly it’s about first responders, of people who were on the scene when the horror began to unfold, who responded immediately. We find firefighters and medics eating their breakfast abandoning their plates and moving toward the inferno to save who they could, the medics creating on-the-ground triage centers in lower Manhattan before 2 WTC’s collapse made the entire area a dangerous hellscape. The boat evacuation began unplanned — first responders realized the fastest way to get the gravely injured to hospitals was to get across the Hudson into New Jersey — and was later given the heft of government support when the towers had both fallen and all ships in the harbor asked to participate. A great multitude were already. Although there are many scenes of horror and tragedy here — do not read this with lunch — the great theme is ordinary human heroism, of people triumphing over their fear and their pain to do What Needs to Be Done. Disasters created by the worse demons of our nature often bring out the better angels — and The Lives they Saved is filled with such angels. One caveat: this book needed some sharper editing. There’s some serious misorganization toward the end, and a lot of repeated facts — some in paragraphs that follow one another. The spotlight on ordinary greatness, however, and the introduction of parts of the disaster I’ve not encountered before, still makes this an easy recommendation. Comparable titles are The Only Plane in the Sky, the best oral history of 9/11 imaginable, and Touching History, the story of the day as experienced by airmen and the airlines themselves.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you thought you had read everything there is about 9/11, well ...

This book is about many of the unsung heroes of that day - the boat captains, and some first responders, who helped rescue people who had taken shelter in area businesses, parking garages, vehicles, etc., and led them to safety - to boats and across the rivers to New Jersey.

The boat captains - everyone came and helped - the fire boats, Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers, Pilot Boats, Tugs, Tourist Ferries, and Ferries that carried commuters across each day. Together, they rescued more than 272,000 [documented] survivors from lower Manhattan, and in roughly 12 hours. An AMAZING feat!

I highly recommend this well-researched book! Keep the tissues handy. You're going to need them.

One sort of interesting thing is that there are two almost identical paragraphs - one after the other - on page 193, but they are referenced in two different notes and from two different sources at the end of the book. Still, this just serves to emphasize what was happening a couple of hours after the North Tower fell, and that the danger was not yet over.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very interested in reading about the boat lift evacuation; I had only recently heard about it on a National Geographic documentary on 9/11. So I was excited to read this book and I did appreciate learning new things about that day and the selfless efforts made by mariners and medics to evacuate almost 300,000 people from Manhattan on 9/11. But there were so many glaring typos and cringe-worthy mistakes in this book that I found myself distracted and wondering if all the details in the book were even correct if such obvious typos were overlooked. One entire paragraph at the beginning of chapter 42 was reprinted word for word, back to back. I spent several minutes re-reading things, trying to figure out what was intended. At one point, someone was described as not being a “devote” Christian, in another chapter, I read about a boast rather than boats. I was disappointed that so many grammatical and typing errors distracted from such a valuable story and perspective.

[Mica's Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

September 11, 2001, is a day that no one will ever forget. The attacks on the World Trade Center cut off the southernmost point of Manhattan from the rest of New York City with no way home. The survivors were directed towards the piers, where they were saved and sent to safe places on Ellis Island and in New Jersey. Those boats who helped that day did what they could to help fellow Americans in need.

I believe I owe it to those who perished to read as much as can about this travesty and tell others who may not know. I never truly knew how so many people escaped downtown New York City. I never gave any thought to the fact that they would evacuate via the waterways. Knowing that so many people and companies stepped up and lent a helping hand is amazing. On 9/11, the boards rescued 240k people and saved their lives.

We Will Never Forget Those We Lost.

[Kim Shepherd · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lives They Saved ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A powerful book that tells they story from the First Responders, boat captains and crews that responded to the tragic events of 9/11.
It was a hard read, with graphic descriptions of what was happening both on the ground and waterways surrounding Manhattan during the attack on America and the effort it took by so many people from all walks of life to evacuate survivors. A feat never before done and with grace will never need to be repeated.
At times I had to just put the book down, only to return days later. A day I will never forget, sitting glued to the television, not realizing the heroic acts being performed on the waterways. Even now, weeks after finishing the book, I still find it difficult to put into words that will do this story justice.

I received this ARC for free in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you NetGalley, L. Douglas Keeney and Lyons Press.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was captivatingly informative on an aspect of 9/11 that is often not talked about. I was so interested in the fact that this was the largest single day maritime evacuation in history. The personal accounts from that day/this event are truly what tied the book together to make it a book that you wanted to keep reading. I was so fascinated in it, that I ended up continuing to research and watch a documentary about this historic event even after I finished reading the book.

[Carol Scharfenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enlightening. If you think you know everything about 9-11, you might want to read this. As someone who lives in the Central U.S., I wasn't aware of the geography of Manhattan and the fact that people needed to be evacuated by boat. 200,000+ people owed their rescue to boat captains and crews that came to the rescue on that day even when they were not first responders. Tour boats, dinner cruise ships, tug boats, etc. all came without being called to help get people to safety.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

9/11 will be a date that is never forgotten in American history. While reading through this book, memories of the day filtered back.

The men and women who set aside their own personal safety to help others. This book, these stories, they are raw. Emotions are high, and while reading this book, you are going to find the selfless acts, the ordinary citizens, EMTs, first responders and more.

You will not be able to make it through this book without tears.

[Ben Savage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please read this book if you have a chance.

Making do with a small amount of gumption, a significant knowledge of the area and a supreme desire to help, thia is about ordinary people in the face of adversary, terror and disaster.


It was the greatest rescue in the history of the civilized world.

343.

[Sadie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in 5th grade on 9/11. At the time I didn’t full comprehend the magnitude of what just happened, but I do remember the terror of my teachers, parents, and other family members. This book is an excellent timeline from the rescuers’ vantage point. The men and women mentioned in this book are nothing short of heroes.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meticulously researched. I had no idea about the boat evacuation that happened on 9/11, helping people evacuate lower Manhattan after the towers were struck. This book is chock full of information about the day leading up to both towers being hit, the time of the attacks, and the aftermath from a variety of perspectives.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 9/11 boat rescues are a story that deserve to be told, and I’m glad these stories were told. However, the lack of editing and proofreading was atrocious and for that, this book gets 3/5 stars. This book needed a team of human editors to make the necessary edits - where were these people? Oof.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding accounts from those directly involved in the rescue of thousands from Manhattan during 9/11. So many personal observations that I hadn't read about. The water rescue by all kinds of boats that took survivors and wounded to New Jersey. And their journey home .
Highly recommend.

[Paula Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book itself was very interesting but the format in which it was written was somewhat confusing and I had trouble keeping up with the different individuals.

[Ellen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing book about how many were rescued thanks to the boats. Everything was laid out so it was easy to follow. I loved the data they shared on how many actually were rescued.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Look for the helpers", Mr Rogers advised children who were frightened by disaster. L. Douglas Keeney here offers a spyglass to readers. Instead of fixating on the flaming towers, the clouds of smoke filled with dust, jet engine fumes, and god-knows-what-else, he directs our attention to the waters around Manhattan, where the largest evacuation in human history was happening, largely ad-hoc. There was no FEMA plan for "Civilian-Led Evacuation of Manhattan": emergency services plans for treating disasters at the WTC complex largely fell apart when the debris from the Towers covered roads. Keeney tells -- or rather, allows the participants to tell -- the story of how that boatlift happened, of how NYPD's marine units, the Coast Guard, private ferries, tugboats, pleasure craft, etc all began casting their eyes toward the seawall and moving to help those they could. This is not a book exclusively about the boat evacuation, though: more broadly it's about first responders, of people who were on the scene when the horror began to unfold, who responded immediately. We find firefighters and medics eating their breakfast abandoning their plates and moving toward the inferno to save who they could, the medics creating on-the-ground triage centers in lower Manhattan before 2 WTC's collapse made the entire area a dangerous hellscape. The boat evacuation began unplanned -- first responders realized the fastest way to get the gravely injured to hospitals was to get across the Hudson into New Jersey -- and was later given the heft of government support when the towers had both fallen and all ships in the harbor asked to participate. A great multitude were already. Although there are many scenes of horror and tragedy here -- do not read this with lunch -- the great theme is ordinary human heroism, of people triumping over their fear and their pain to do What Needs to Be Done. Disasters created by the worse demons of our nature often bring out the better angels -- and The Lives they Saved is filled with such angels. One caveat: this book needed some sharper editing. There's some serious misorganization toward the end, and a lot of repeated facts -- some in paragraphs that follow one another.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring book about a little-known aspect of the 9/11 attacks--the evacuation of more that 250,000 people from lower Manhattan by a fleet of boats--ferries, Coast Guard vessels, dinner-cruise operators, and just about everyone with a boat who could get there--to other parts of NYC and to New Jersey, where triage centers were waiting. This was especially important because the bridges, tunnels, and even the West Side Highway (after the second tower fell) were blocked off or closed. Many people were injured or having respiratory and eye problems from the huge dust cloud that darkened the area when the towers fell, and many had been traumatized by the horrific scenes they endured or witnessed. The author quotes contemporary accounts and looks at official records to reconstruct a minute-by-minute account of an operation that in one day rivaled the evacuation of Dunkirk during the Second World War. Maybe I've forgotten, but this seems to have been overlooked by most histories of that awful day. The professionalism of the first responders and seamen who were there when they were needed, and went back again and again, shows how good people can be in a crisis.

[Edie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a very good retelling of the boat evacuation of Manhattan on 9/11. It was an incredible recount of the events at Ground Zero with retelling of digital diaries from EMTs and boat rescuers. This is the largest, single-day boat lift in recorded history. In less than 12 hours they evacuated 272,539 people. Compare that to the WWII Dunkirk evacuation of 338,226 soldiers, but that was over the course of nine days. It is amazing how calm and orderly everyone was through the whole evacuation.

One aspect I didn't realize was that when the towers fell the I-beams sliced through the streets cutting water mains and other utilities. Also, all road access to south of the towers was cut off. This essentially shut down all of lower Manhattan, so everyone who lived south of the towers had to evacuate as well.

I recommend this book to read a another view point of events on 9/11. Again, the heroism and self sacrifice of ordinary people is astounding.