9/11 Responder Shares Haunting Encounter with Injured Woman

On September 11, 2001, emergency responder Ernest Armstead experienced a chilling encounter while responding to the aftermath of the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center. Amid the devastation, Armstead marked the body of a woman with a black tag, indicating she was deceased. To his astonishment, she declared, “I’m not dead.”

This poignant moment is one of many harrowing stories from that tragic day. In a recent interview shared on YouTube, Armstead recounted the chaos he faced as he tried to help those affected. He explained the triage process he employed, where different colored tags indicated varying levels of injury: green for minor injuries, red for those requiring immediate assistance, and black for the deceased.

Armstead recalled, “At this time, this person is presumed dead.” He described the scene beneath the towers, stating, “I did not see any living person on the ground. Everybody was deceased.” As he moved through the wreckage, he marked several bodies with black tags until he encountered the woman who challenged his assessment.

Her appearance suggested she might have been an office worker, as her face and head appeared intact, yet the lower part of her body was horrifically injured. Armstead noted, “She must’ve come down feet first.” In a moment of desperation, she pleaded, “Stop, stop. I’m not dead.” The emotional weight of the encounter was profound, as he acknowledged, “I could’ve done something immediately to help her but I was panicking myself.”

In that critical moment, Armstead chose to reassure her. “I said: ‘You’re okay, this is preliminary. I tore the wrong thing off. Relax, they’re coming, don’t worry about what I just did.’” He admitted that while his words were a lie regarding her condition, he felt compelled to offer her some semblance of comfort.

The impact of this encounter stayed with Armstead long after that day. He explained, “That black tag stayed with me. It took me three years to push it back…the brain can never be positioned to deal with tragedy of another human being. It just reminds you that this could be your mother.”

In the aftermath of his story gaining attention online, some individuals have questioned the accuracy of Armstead’s memories, suggesting that trauma might have distorted his recollections. Speculation arose regarding the woman’s identity and condition—some theorized she might have been struck by debris rather than being a passenger on one of the planes or an office worker.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the details, many have expressed admiration for the woman’s courage. One commenter aptly stated, “May that poor, feisty lady rest in eternal peace.” Armstead’s account serves not only as a reminder of the human toll of that day but also highlights the emotional burden carried by first responders.