Craig

Wednesday, September 19, 2001 :

FRONT | IRELAND | SPORT | WORLD | BUSINESS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rescue and recovery unites citizen soldiers


By David Wallis

HOURS after the World Trade Center calamity, volunteering fulfilled a lifelong dream for Craig Garber, 25, a medic from Boston. In 1982 as a kid, he watched Air Florida Flight 90 plunge into the Potomac River.

"People jumped in ice-cold water to rescue people. I wanted to go and help, but I was a kid and couldn't do it.

"This is my opportunity. I'm an adult. I have the skills. I have the training, and people need me," he said.

Working non-stop at Ground Zero for four days - except for naps on the sidewalk - allowed Garber to ride the rollercoaster of his emotions. Despair one minute, euphoria the next.

"I had a lot of fear when I got here. It was very dark. You couldn't see anything in front of your face. You'd go up on the pile and there were burning embers of orange and red. The only light we had was from the fire We were working and these buildings looked like they were going to fall down on top of us.

"We found a cadaver, and we spent an hour and a half trying to identify this person. It was an upper torso and the hips, and one leg. It was very, very distressing. It hurt.

"We tried to find additional body parts. We looked for a skull, teeth for the medical examiner, We couldn't find anything else. It was our honour and duty to take this person out of this chaotic mess.

"They didn't ask to be put there. But they're going to be buried in a real grave. We found a business card.

"An hour and half later, we pulled a police officer out of the rubble. He was buried up to his neck. He was alive and looked right in my eyes and joy overcame me. Everybody cheered. This is why I'm here. I'm here to save people."