All Available Boats

As the 9/11 attacks unfolded, it became increasingly difficult to evacuate lower Manhattan. When the Twin Towers collapsed, thousands fled to the water’s edge. Seeing the emergency, the U.S. Coast Guard issued a call for all available boats to help those who were trapped. The ensuing maritime response, from NYPD harbor units, fireboats and ferries to private and commercial boats, initiated the largest waterborne evacuation in American history. To examine this extraordinary story, we are pleased to screen the award-winning documentary, Boatlift, and welcome Eddie Rosenstein, director of the film, U.S. Coast Guard Safety & Security Division Chief John Hillin, former FDNY Chief Marine Engineer Gulmar Parga, and NY Waterway Captain Richard Thornton. In conversation with Noah Rauch, Senior Vice President of Education & Public Programs, they reflect on 9/11 and the improvised evacuation that transported an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 people to safety in less than nine hours.