September 11 anniversary marks 25 years of maritime rescue and memorials

As the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks approaches, various commemorations are highlighting the massive maritime rescue operation known as the Great New York Boatlift. Following the attacks on the World Trade Center, the U.S. Coast Guard issued a call for all available boats in New York Harbor. In response, a spontaneous flotilla of ferries, tugboats, and commercial vessels evacuated an estimated 500,000 people from Lower Manhattan in approximately nine to ten hours, marking one of the largest sea evacuations in history.

In addition to honoring the merchant mariners who participated in the rescue, memorials continue to serve as lasting tributes. The USS New York, a Navy warship, features a bow constructed from seven and a half tons of steel recovered from the World Trade Center wreckage. The ship also includes a Memorial Passageway containing a steel plate from the site and inscriptions of the victims' names to honor those lost in the attacks.