PITTSBURGH -- Judy Colfer of Greensburg, Pa., was one of the survivors of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.
Colfer (pictured, left) was at a meeting on the 55th floor of Tower 1 when the first plane hit on Sept. 11.
"The whole room rocked, you could feel the building rock," said Colfer, a wife and mother of two young boys. "You're thinking, 'This is New York City. This can't be an earthquake.' But it felt just like an earthquake."
Judy and the others on her floor went to the stairs, waiting single file, trying to get out.
She remembered seeing a firefighter on his way up the stairs.
"His eyes were just filled with terror, and I thought if it's that bad, there's no hope," Colfer said.
But Colfer did get out. Five minutes later, the building collapsed.
"I felt like I was a spectator in a movie," she said. "This was some horror movie. This building just fell like a sandcastle. It just crumbled. I got out of that building just five minutes before it collapsed."
Colfer said that she will never forget the face of the firefighter she saw on her way down the stairs. She said she knows that the firefighter didn't make it out.
Workers Search 30 Feet Into Crash Crater
One week after United Flight 93 crashed in Somerset County, workers continued to search through the debris in hope of finding answers to why the plane, allegedly on target for Washington, D.C., fell to earth in Pennsylvania.
Workers have now gone 30 feet into the crater created by Flight 93 and are finding larger pieces of debris. Originally, all that could be seen were tiny pieces of evidence that the plane went down Sept. 11 in the rural community near Shanksville, Pa.
Last week, the largest items found were no bigger than a briefcase.
Even though workers have been searching for about a week, officials said that the work is still weeks away from completion.
Stress management teams have been brought to the crash scene to help the workers deal with the situation.
Rich Boland, an instructor at the University of Pittsburgh medical center in charge of a team counseling recovery workers, said that workers were holding up.
"The mood is very positive. It's 'In your face, terrorists,'" Boland said.
Team 4 Investigates Security
Team 4 investigator Paul Van Osdol takes a look at Pittsburgh International Airport's FAA violations and fines since 1990. To read his report,
click here.
Team 4 investigator Jim Parsons took a look at the backdoor security at Pittsburgh International Airport. To view his report,
click here.
Santorum Town Hall MeetingPennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum wants to hear your thoughts as America unites.
The Republican will be holding a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Montour High School auditorium in Robinson Township, Pa.
Pitt Holds Vigil For VictimsThe University of Pittsburgh held a student-organized event Tuesday morning at the Cathedral of Learning on the Oakland campus marking one week since the terrorist hijackings.
WTAE-TV's Bob Mayo reported that the vigil included moments of silence that were observed at the times in which the planes crashed.
Taps was played at 10:10 a.m., the time of the final crash in Somerset County.
In Shanksville, Somerset County, WTAE-TV's Marcie Cipriani reported that investigators continue to search the crash site for clues.
A bronzed plaque has been placed at the scene, commemorating the victims. Plans are in place to construct a permanent memorial.
On Wednesday at 7 p.m., a community meeting will be held at Camp Allegheny along Route 30. It will address the affect of the situation on the community.
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express your condolences, best wishes or sympathies.'She Stepped Up'Deborah Jacobs Welsh loved being a flight attendant. So much so that she hung in to the end with Eastern and Kiwi Airlines.
Then, nearly five years ago, she was hired by United Airlines and based at Newark International Airport.
Welsh flew out of Newark a week ago as a crew member of hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 that slammed into a field in western Pennsylvania.
Patrick Welsh, who lived with Deborah on Manhattan's West Side, knows his wife was terrified when the hijackers commandeered Flight 93. "Like anybody would be," he says.
But he says his wife wasn't shy about expressing herself, and would say "what the terrorists thought was a triumphant battle cry was actually a pathetic whimper of cowardice."
Pilot RememberedUniformed pilots, children and neighbors of Victor J. Saracini were in attendance at the Newton, Pa., memorial service at St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Church, held on the one-week anniversary of the attacks. Across the street from the church, American flags hung from a high school.
Saracini, 51, of Lower Makefield Township, Bucks County, was piloting United Airlines Flight 175 when it was hijacked after its takeoff from Boston.
Flags MissingFire fighters in North Versailles said that dozens of American flags were stolen from their department this week.
West Wilmerding Vol. Fire Dept. officials are looking for the people who stole 36 flags from the department's lawn in Allegheny County.
Department president Russell Saula said that he placed 40 flags on the lawn to honor firefighters hurt or killed in the terrorist attacks last week.
Saula said someone took two flags Saturday night. But that person left $2 on the lawn, as if to pay for them.
Saula said that someone then took 34 flags from the lawn on Sunday night, but did not leave money in their places.
Previous Local Stories:Sept. 17, 2001: Relatives, Friends Tour Somerset County Crash SiteSept. 16, 2001: 'Let's Roll,' Flight 93 Victim Heard To Say Before CrashSept. 15, 2001: FBI Explains Other Planes At Crash, Local Rescue Team Returns From NYC, Steelers Among Crowd At VigilSept. 14, 2001:Second Black Box Found At Somerset Site; Governor Leads VigilSept. 13, 2001:Flight 93 Data Recorder FoundSept. 12, 2001:Alleged Partial Flight 93 Cockpit Transcript Obtained FBI Searches New Castle Apartment Pittsburgh International Airport Revamping Security FBI Interested In Local Townhouse, Car Westmoreland County Man Among Crash Victims Munhall Woman's Brother Calls From WTC RubbleSept. 11, 2001:Plane Crashes In Somerset County Flight 93 Passenger Said He Planned Action Cities Knew Plane Was Coming, But Not Where Tearful Ridge Promises Help From Pa. State Watches, Reacts As Attacks Unfold Copyright 2006 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
