Man survives World Trade Center catastrophe but sister, niece die in hijacked plane

AP ^ | 9-12-01 | staff

[jordan8]

DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) -- Ronnie Clifford managed to escape the burning World Trade Center before it crumbled to the ground. He later learned that his sister and niece were on one of the two hijacked planes that hit it, his brother said.

[Maceman]

My wife and I knew Ruth Clifford McCourt; she used to be my wife's boss. But there's even more tragedy to the story.

Her plan was to go to LA with her best friend Paige Farley Hackel, a very close friend of my family's.

Ruth and her little daughter drove up from Westport to spend the night at Paige's house in Newton, MA. They all drove to the airport on Tuesday morning.

Ruth and her daughter took the United flight, because for some reason she couldn't get on the same flight as Paige. Paige was on AM flight 11.

Both ladies were gorgeous, classy, elegant and accomplished. They leave behind two broken grieving husbands, and a lot of stunned and wounded friends.

Now everytime I see those pictures of the planes crashing into the WTC, and realize I am watching the horrible, terrifying death of these women, I am sickened beyond words.

[jimtorr]

Bump for humanity. I have been guilty too often of seeing only the aircraft and the buildings involved, and thinking, "COOL!", as if the scene was merely another awesome movie special effect. I sometimes need to be reminded that real people were involved here. Thank you for sharing.

[OldFriend]

A man whose best friend died on TWA 800, died on one of the planes.

[fone]

Found this while searching for something else.

Three weeks later *bump*