Sekou Siby was scheduled to work at the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001, the day the twin towers were attacked and ultimately destroyed. His experience serves as a poignant reminder of the tragic events that unfolded on that day.
Rivas wanted a Sunday off, so Siby agreed to cover for him. Siby was sleeping at home when the wife of his colleague Abdoul Karim called him in panic. He turned on the television and saw smoke and flames rising from the North Tower. He immediately called the restaurant. Among them was Rivas.
More than 2,700 people were killed at the World Trade Center that day. Siby also lost 79 of his coworkers from Windows on the World. On October 3, 2001, Siby’s daughter was born.
When Tuesday arrived, Rivas took Siby’s shift, according to CNN . “Your building is burning,” she told him. “You can’t imagine losing the entire morning crew – all of the people you used to interact with – all gone,” he said. He said the birth brought a brief moment of happiness during one of the darkest periods of his life. “Taking care of a baby helped me occupy my mind and give me a reason why God saved my life,” he added.
Days earlier, he had agreed to exchange shifts with Moises Rivas, a young Ecuadorian musician who worked at the restaurant.
