News
News

Former NYC ferry captain who evacuated hundreds on 9/11 dies

New York City Firefighter Who Evacuated People In Ferry During 9/11 Dies
By Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
March 18, 2018

New York City firefighter Thomas Phelan, who evacuated hundreds of people from Manhattan during the 9/11 attacks while working as a ferry captain, died Friday.

Explore>> Read more trending news

Phelan, 45, died of cancer, the New York Daily News reported.

Phelan was working as a Statue of Liberty ferry captain on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists flew two jetliners into the World Trade Center. Phelan turned the boat into a rescue vehicle and played a key role in evacuating people stranded in Lower Manhattan, the Daily News reported.

"He brought supplies, rescue workers & was a huge part of the operation," according to the NYC Fire Wire Facebook page.

He went on to join New York’s fire department in May 2003, the Daily News reported.

About the Author

Bob D’Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
More Stories

Keep Reading

Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, among others, will no longer be considered fee-free days at U.S. National Parks. While the MLK National Historic Park in Atlanta doesn't charge admission, the new schedule will affect such metro Atlanta sites as Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

MLK Day, Juneteenth cut from national parks’ free days; Trump’s birthday added

The Trump administration has altered which days national parks will allow free entry for residents and citizens next year.

LISTEN

‘It’s UATL’ podcast: Holy Booty: The Weight of Beauty Standards

Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play ‘It’s UATL’” podcast.

More of the AJC’s in-depth coverage of Atlanta’s plans for international event

The Latest

From left: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, commission chairman Rob Pitts and Sheriff Patrick Labat.

Credit: Broly Su/AJC

A.M. ATL: Playing the blame game

MLK Day, Juneteenth cut from national parks’ free days; Trump’s birthday added

Sweet Tea: To care is human

Featured

Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

When ICE takes breadwinners, it takes a toll on families ... and on the economy

For immigrant families, brushes with ICE can result in financial precarity that could have implications for the broader economy.

‘I’m a bad kid,’ he told himself. How Georgia’s special ed program failed one child

Parents find that it's easy to get into the GNETS program, but in some districts, difficult to leave.

‘A lot of blame, but not enough action’: Atlanta leaders lack path to fix jail

Stakeholders across Atlanta and Fulton County grapple with a complex web of issues that contribute to overcrowding, crumbling structure.