Guide dog: the story of an amazing rescue

A typical morning for Michael Hingson in his office on the 78th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center ended when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the building several floors above at a speed of 790 kilometers per hour.

Michael felt the building lean and then straighten. His colleague shouted that there was a fire outside the window: it was burning paper falling from the upper floors. People ran to the exit.

While confusion reigned around him, Michael felt purposeful and calm. After all, Roselle, the last of his guide dogs, didn’t panic. Instead, the Labrador dog stood quietly by his side, waiting for his master’s command.

Bravery

Michael, as acting manager of the office that morning, escorted his employees and visitors to safety before calling his wife and evacuating himself.

Then Michael, blind from birth, directed Roselle to the stairs, and they began a grueling “journey” down 78 floors. Firefighters ran past them in the opposite direction. Some of them patted Roselle as they made their way towards the fire.

But the dangers did not recede, and when Roselle and Michael went out into the street. They were only 90 meters from the building when the South Tower collapsed right behind them, enveloping them in a thick cloud of suffocating dust. “We ran as hard as we could,” says Michael.

Roselle only stopped him once, when she sensed a stairwell ahead of them. If Michael had not stopped, he would have fallen. “She did exactly what we were supposed to do,” Michael said. “She remained completely and absolutely focused.”

Their salvation that day depended on their teamwork and trust in each other. “The job of the guide dog is to make sure our path is safe,” Michael said. “My job is to know where we’re going. It’s real teamwork.”

Teamwork

This message of teamwork resonates with many, which is why Michael is now sharing his experience with people around the world as a motivational speaker and as the author of two books about his four-legged partner. Michael tells his listeners and readers that the ability to overcome daily difficulties and survive in extraordinary circumstances depends on trust.

“This idea that you are part of a team and have complete trust in all of its members, in my case my dog, resonates with many,” says Michael.

Michael has been dealing with guide dogs since the age of 14. His current dog, Africa, accompanies him during performances.

Roselle died in 2011 at the age of 13. A few years earlier, Michael put her on a well-deserved rest. Her health was severely affected by an immune disorder that could have been caused by exposure to toxins on that day – September 11th.

But it lives on in Michael’s message, which he sees as a worthy tribute to the dog to whom he owes his life.

“Our salvation depended on our teamwork in every sense of the word,” Michael said. “This connection between man and animal, this trust and faith helped me survive that day.”

And this is just one of the many heartbreaking stories of guide dogs that have gone beyond their normal duties. It is because of their heightened senses that they become a vital part of the lives of people with disabilities.