The most badass, low-tech rescue in American history.
I love the one guy who literally says, “I didn’t even ask anyone. I just went,” and next thing you know he’s evacuating Wall Street.
Thx to Rich Wilde for the tip on this one. He and his team have saved more lives on the water than anyone I know.
You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up
- 500,000 people were evacuated in under 9 hours—the largest sea evacuation in history, even bigger than Dunkirk, which took 9 days.
- Some people jumped into the Hudson and swam out of Manhattan, nearly getting run over by ferries.
- Boat captains scribbled their destinations on bed sheets with spray paint and hung them from railings to direct evacuees.
Watch “Boatlift”
You can watch “Boatlift” for free here on YouTube:
Ratings:
- My Rating: 92/100
- IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: N/A
Director’s Note: “Boatlift” is a 12-minute short film directed by Eddie Rosenstein and Rick Vellue.
It’s narrated by Tom Hanks and produced by Eyepop Productions with the Port of New York and New Jersey.
Release Date: September 8, 2011 (10th anniversary of 9/11)
My Review of “Boatlift”
The Setup
This isn’t the 9/11 story you know — it’s the one that gives you chills after you’ve already cried.
“Boatlift” is about 500,000 New Yorkers getting off the island because a ragtag navy of civilians basically said, “Let’s go.”
When Manhattan shut down on 9/11—bridges, tunnels, subways closed—the only way off was the water.
That’s when tugboats, ferries, dinner cruise ships, Coast Guard cutters, and private fishing boats all answered the radio call to help.
More Highlights from the Doc
- When the Coast Guard made the radio call for “all available boats,” the horizon filled with hundreds of vessels racing toward Manhattan.
- Even the 1931 fireboat John J. Harvey was part of the rescue.
- Crew members recall the dust cloud from the collapsing towers swallowing the slips, making it impossible to see as they loaded passengers.
- Private captains debated if they were putting themselves in danger of another attack, but decided saving even one life was worth it.
- One small boat nearly capsized when panicked crowds tried to climb aboard all at once.
- The operation wasn’t planned, drilled, or trained—just instinct, compassion, and seamanship.
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- Many of the mariners interviewed say it was “the greatest day of their lives on the water,” despite the horror unfolding around them.
- Some volunteers made dozens of trips back and forth all day, ferrying as many as their boats could hold until nightfall.
- Ferry workers reunited separated families onboard—husbands and wives spotting each other for the first time since the towers fell.
- The boat crews felt like unlikely first responders—ordinary welders, tug operators, and party boat captains suddenly in charge of saving lives.
Wrap Up
“Boatlift” shows that in the middle of one of America’s darkest days, ordinary people with boats turned New York Harbor into an unplanned rescue fleet.
If you know a more inspirational doc related to 9/11, I’d really like to show more of these!
Thanks for reading!
Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc