John McLoughlin (police officer)
John McLoughlin | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 6, 1953 |
| Occupation | Law enforcement officer |
| Known for | Surviving entrapment beneath the World Trade Center debris during the September 11 attacks |
John McLoughlin (born June 6, 1953) is a former American law enforcement officer recognized for being one of only two Port Authority Police personnel to survive entrapment beneath the debris of the World Trade Center during the events of the September 11 attacks. His ordeal and subsequent rescue, alongside fellow officer William Jimeno, were portrayed in Oliver Stone's 2006 motion picture World Trade Center, with Nicolas Cage assuming the role of McLoughlin.
McLoughlin completed his education at the State University of New York at Oswego, where he became a member of the Sigma Tau Chi fraternity.
September 11, 2001
On the morning of September 11, McLoughlin was leading a unit that included Jimeno on the main concourse linking the Twin Towers when the South Tower collapsed. They sought shelter inside a freight elevator, which was subsequently engulfed by falling rubble. Officers Antonio Rodrigues and Chris Amoroso were killed instantly; however, McLoughlin, Jimeno, and Dominick Pezzulo initially survived. The freight elevator’s framework formed a survivable void. Pezzulo managed to free himself and attempted to assist Jimeno but suffered fatal injuries during further structural failure. McLoughlin and Jimeno remained trapped until approximately ten hours later, when former U.S. Marines Jason Thomas and Dave Karnes detected their calls for assistance.
After prolonged rescue operations, Jimeno was extracted after 13 hours and McLoughlin after 22 hours beneath the debris. Severely wounded, McLoughlin underwent 27 surgical procedures and spent six weeks in an induced coma, followed by an extensive rehabilitation period. Four months following their rescue, both men took part in a Ground Zero ceremony commemorating the removal of the final steel column; they were among only twenty individuals rescued alive from the wreckage. On June 11, 2002, both officers were honored with the Port Authority's Medal of Honor during a ceremony at Madison Square Garden.
The narrative of their survival is dramatized in the film World Trade Center (2006), where Nicolas Cage portrays McLoughlin and Michael Peña plays Jimeno. Both officers made cameo appearances at the premiere event for the movie.
See also
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1950s births
- American police officers
- Living people
- Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department
- State University of New York at Oswego alumni
- Survivors of the September 11 attacks
- Law enforcement officials from New York City
- Law enforcement officials from New Jersey
- Year of birth missing (living people)