‘We had human remains all over us’: Former NYPD officers talk about what they heard and saw 20 years
I start off sunny, nice and warm. What started as a clear day turned to darkness at 846 the morning of September 11th. 2001 I remember hearing the radio transmission come over the plane hit building. I'm like what are you talking about? New York Police and firefighters raced to Ground Zero when two planes hit the twin towers. Second, I took photo of part of the engine of the plane. One of the tires on my route going towards Ground Zero. I've never seen those photos. You don't see me. Nobody's ever seen those photos. These retired NYPD officers had different roles that day. I was a Sergeant with the New York City Police Department, Gus Cabarcas, New York City police Sergeant. Detective Robert Angel retired NYPD. Chris Pyer police officer. New York City Police Department retired. None of them knew each other, but tragedy united them. Yeah, it's definitely something that brings us all together, that's for sure. They now all live in North Texas and 20 years after 911 or friend of mine who's a he was a police officer. He took pictures that day. They sat down to talk to us and share pictures.
Have you seen this before taken at Ground Zero? What did you see when you first walk up? I've described it to people as kind of like. Being in a snowstorm because it was just all this dust and particles flying around. Chris Meyer arrived at Ground Zero after the second tower had fallen. Jet fuel burning had concrete burning. You name it all the different office supply. Everything was just on fire. One of his most vivid memories is the fire truck he found buried in the rubble.
We found the door of fire truck and then we started locating remains there. I mean, I was just like a shot in the gut. Lieutenant, Rolando Pastrana says the most heart wrenching moment for him. Came when he heard officer Maurice Smith. Over the police scanner and I just remember screaming over Radio 1013. I'm stuck. I can't get out. She was trapped when the second tower fell. She's like I'm in a building. I'm in a building but you didn't know where to begin and then the transmission just stopped.
Sergeant 'cause Cabarcas LED a team of officers in search of survivors basically on our hands and knees every day. He says they sifted through the debris looking for remains. If it was personal property and put it in one bucket. If it was human remains you would take those buckets. You turned all that stuff in. After those ships they had to walk past family members holding up posters of their missing loved ones. They come up to you ask, hey, have you seen my son? I miss you, my husband. And we knew that there was no one alive down there. 2023 and 23 NYPD officers died that day. Crazy, the department says that more than 15 hundreds have died from illnesses like cancer and lung damage from what they inhaled. I got asthma. I got scarred lungs, sleep apnea. It's always on the back of my mind, heard many times it's not a matter of if but when so mostly and it doesn't stop at the physical scarring. There was a point, you know, it was really bad for me. He just keeps stuffing it down and everything is great.
Everything is fine. Nothing to worry about. It just overwhelms you after awhile. Reach out for help. Get it. No, officer Meyer says he suffers from PTSD and has struggled with depression. Reach out for help because it's their people will help you and you'll make it through that darkness and come out the other side. But now they gather every year. Was it time to remember, along with dozens of other former NYPD officers? But we have that unique bond to remember. We're very fortunate that we're still here, and no matter what happens in life in the kitchen, you can never take away the title. New York City police officer. I'm Rebecca Lopez..
