John McLoughlin (born June 6, 1953) is one of two

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ, is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate compact authorize ...

police officers who survived after being trapped under the rubble of the

World Trade Center World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may refer to: Buildings * List of World Trade Centers * World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...

during the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...

. His rescue and that of William Jimeno are later the subject of Oliver Stone's film ''

'' in 2006, in which McLoughlin was portrayed by actor

Nicolas Cage Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. Born into the Coppola family, he is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Gui ...

. McLoughlin graduated from the State University of New York at Oswego, where he was a member of the Sigma Tau Chi fraternity.

September 11, 2001

McLoughlin led a team of officers, including Jimeno, who were on the main concourse between the two towers 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. Pezzulo was mortally wounded and died minutes after the collapse. McLoughlin and Jimeno were rescued after former U.S. Marine Corps sergeant Jason Thomas and staff sergeant Dave Karnes heard their cries for help about ten hours after they were first buried. The two men were eventually rescued after hours of painstaking work — Jimeno after 13 hours and McLoughlin after 22 hours. McLoughlin was gravely injured. Doctors kept him in an

induced coma An induced comaalso known as a medically induced coma (MIC), barbiturate-induced coma, or drug-induced comais a temporary coma (a deep state of unconsciousness) brought on by a controlled dose of an anesthetic drug, often a barbiturate such as pe ...

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 two were last to leave. Only 20 people were pulled out of the rubble alive; Jimeno and McLoughlin were numbers 18 and 19. 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 The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

. The film ''World Trade Center'' (2006) tells the story of McLoughlin (played by

) and William Jimeno (portrayed by

Michael Peña Michael Anthony Peña (; ; born January 13, 1976) is an American actor. He has starred in many films, including ''Crash'' (2004), '' World Trade Center'' (2006), '' Shooter'' (2007), '' Observe and Report'' (2009), '' Tower Heist'' (2011), '' Batt ...

). The two make a small appearance at the BBQ greeting them.

References

External links

Article in Court TV Crime Library
*
''Slate'' magazine article on truth vs. fiction in Oliver Stone's ''World Trade Center''

{{DEFAULTSORT:McLoughlin, John 1950s births American police officers Living people People from New York City Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department State University of New York at Oswego alumni Survivors of the September 11 attacks

September 11, 2001

See also

References

External links