John McLoughlin (World Trade Center attack survivor)

Infobox police officer
name = John McLoughlin


caption =
born = 1953
placeofbirth = New York, New York
nickname =
department = Port Authority Police (PAPD)
serviceyears = 1980 - 2001
rank = Commissioned as a Patrolman - 1980
- 1993
awards = Port Authority Police Department Medal of Honor
relations = Married
laterwork =

John McLoughlin (born c. 1953) is one of two Port Authority Police survivors of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, and along with William Jimeno, is the subject of an Oliver Stone film released in 2006.

McLoughlin graduated from the State University of New York at Oswego, and he was a member of the Sigma Tau Chi Fraternity. He currently resides in Goshen, New York with his wife Donna and four children, and once served as the Goshen school board president.

The film "World Trade Center" retells the story of McLoughlin (played by Nicolas Cage) and William Jimeno. The two Port Authority police officers were rescued after being trapped in the rubble at Ground Zero. Jimeno was pulled out after 12 hours; McLoughlin came out after 22 hours.

McLoughlin led a team of four officers, including Jimeno, who were in between the two towers on the main concourse when the South Tower collapsed. The five ran toward a nearby freight elevator, and were buried in the ensuing collapse of the concourse. Officers Antonio Rodrigues and Chris Amoroso were killed immediately. McLoughlin, Jimeno and a third officer, Dominick Pezzulo, were trapped but alive. The freight elevator withstood the devastation, creating breathing room that saved their lives. Pezzulo, who was the only one not pinned, immediately managed to free himself and tried to free Jimeno, but the subsequent collapse of the North Tower caused shifting and additional debris falling through, and he was mortally wounded and eventually died minutes after the collapse.

McLoughlin and Jimeno eventually were rescued when U.S. Marine Corps Sergeants Jason Thomas and Dave Karnes heard their cries for help.

“As we were walking we were yelling at the top of our lungs ‘United States Marines, can anyone hear us?'” Karnes described. “As we approached the depression of the south tower I thought I heard something. Indeed it was some muffled call for help, I assured them that Thomas and I were both looking for them so keep yelling so we can find you.” [http://www.defendamerica.mil/profiles/sep2003/pr091203a.html]

The two men were eventually rescued after several hours of painstaking effort.

McLoughlin was gravely injured. Doctors kept him in an induced coma for six weeks. He underwent 27 surgeries and spent nearly three months in the hospital and rehabilitation.

Four months after their rescue, McLoughlin and Jimeno — who both have since retired — took part in a ceremony at Ground Zero to watch as the final column was removed. When all the uniformed officers walked out of The Pit, the last two to be rescued were the last to leave. On June 11, 2002, McLoughlin (with a walker) and Jimeno (with a limp) walked across a stage at Madison Square Garden to receive the Port Authority's Medal of Honor. [http://www.usatoday.com/news/sept11/2002-09-05-miracles-usat_x.htm]

The film "World Trade Center" received widespread critical praise, but has come under criticism for not accurately portraying the rescue of McLoughlin and Jimeno. The film was criticized for incorrectly identifying some of the personnel who dug out the two men, omitting key participants in the rescue, and understating the amount of time and effort required, and danger and difficulty involved in extricating the two police officers. [http://www.slate.com/id/2147350/nav/tap1/]

See also

* Will Jimeno
* Dominick Pezzulo
* Dave Karnes
* Jason Thomas
* "World Trade Center (film)"
* Nicolas Cage

External links

* [http://www.crimelibrary.com/terrorists_spies/terrorists/papd/1.html Article in Court TV Crime Library]
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2225418/ John McLoughlin on IMDB]
* [http://www.slate.com/id/2147350/nav/tap1/ "Slate" magazine article on truth vs. fiction in Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center"]
* [http://www.defendamerica.mil/profiles/sep2003/pr091203a.html Article on rescuer Dave Karnes]
* [http://archive.recordonline.com/archive/2002/01/18/tomcloug.htm "Times Herald Record" article WTC Hero's Homecoming]