Largest Maritime Evacuation In U.S.

After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, more than 500,000 people were evacuated from Lower Manhattan by boats in less than 9 hours, and this is the largest maritime evacuation in U.S. history.

It involved over 150 vessels, including merchant ships, ferries, fireboats, private yachts, tugboats and even small rubber dinghies.

More than 800 mariners and countless volunteers were a part of the effort coordinated by the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies like the NYPD, FDNY, and private companies.

Unfolding of the Biggest Maritime Evacuation in the U.S

After the collapse of the Twin Towers, bridges, transit routes, and tunnels were closed, and many people were stranded. After this, the Coast Guard issued a call for all available boats to assist in the evacuation effort.

Ships lined along the waterfront, and lines of evacuees stretched as many waited to board and go to a safe place.

The boat operators communicated with each other using marine radios, hand signals, etc, as modern communication systems were down.

The effort went on for hours, and the boats made several repeated voyages across the Hudson and East Rivers to Brooklyn, Staten Island and New Jersey.

The Coast Guard cutters Katherine Walker, Adak, and Tahoma were among the first federal vessels to reach the site and helped to coordinate the response and maintain security zones.

Ferry operators such as NY Waterway, Staten Island Ferry, and SeaStreak played important roles, and NY Waterway alone moved about 150,000 people.

Fireboats like John J. Harvey and Fire Fighter evacuated people and provided water for firefighting when hydrants gave up.

Although there was chaos, the operation was a major success, and no serious accidents occurred.

This event is often seen as an act of bravery, solidarity and quick thinking on the part of the Coast Guard and other agencies, including private companies, which helped in saving the lives of Americans.

The 9/11 Boatlift stands as a powerful example of the maritime community’s commitment to never leaving anyone behind.

Andrew McGovern of the Sandy Hook Pilots Association said, “Every mariner is taught that you never, ever leave someone out there. If someone calls for help, you go. It’s ingrained in every mariner. It’s the real basis of why everything happened.”

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