I recently interviewed Joe Dittmar, one of only seven survivors from a meeting of 54 on the **105th floor of the South Tower**. This is his full minute-by-minute account of the evacuation, the heroes he passed in the stairwell, and his journey home.

**Key Timeline of Joe’s Account:**

* **08:46 AM – The First Impact:** Joe describes the meeting on the 105th floor and the flickering lights that signaled the start of the tragedy.
* **The 90th Floor Realization:** The moment the evacuation paused, and Joe looked out to see the "gaping black hole" in the North Tower.
* **The Second Plane:** Joe recounts the terrifying moment the stairwell "sheared" as the South Tower was hit.
* **The 35th Floor Heroes:** Passing the first responders who were heading up while Joe was heading down. He shares the "determination" he saw in their eyes.
* **The Silence After:** What it felt like to reach the ground level and the immediate aftermath of the collapse.

Joe’s story is a powerful testament to the "unity" of the people in those stairwells.

**Watch the full 60-minute interview here:** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceayKSz8pig](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceayKSz8pig)

9/11 Survivor Joe Dittmar (105th Floor South Tower) – The Full Firsthand Account of the Escape and the First Responders