2 Sarasota, Florida Residents Share Their 911 Stories & Video

Natasha Reisner is a friend and a writer for the Sarasota Post and Streets of Paradise. Tom MacKnight is also a friend, videographer and fabulous guitar player with “The Verge.” Here is Natasha’s account of the day followed by Tom’s video. The photos were given to Tom by a Pastor who was called to console workers and potential survivors. He took the photos in the video and they were never released to the press.

September 11th is a day that will forever give me pause and make me feel vulnerable. My husband, Colin, was on a plane that morning in 2001.

I had just dropped three of our children off at school; it was a regular morning like any other. Driving home with my baby, Darren, secure in his car seat I heard the unimaginable news.

Fear and disbelief stuck me, I clutched the steering wheel tightly and immediately shut off the car radio. I needed to protect myself from my overwhelming fear and get my baby home safely. I tried to reach Colin and was unable to.

I watched glued to the TV in horror as others did that very morning. Our story ends well. Colin’s plane was grounded, and our lives continued. That sense of randomness and it’s potential to change our course has become a part of me. Many others were not as lucky as us.

Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, young and old left their homes that morning never to return…first responders bravely went into harm’s way…

We rarely know the struggles sometimes even suffering others are facing; let’s be grateful for what we have, treat one another with kindness and be willing to lend a hand.

Top photo from Tom MacKnight Video

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