The 'man in the red bandana': Remembering Welles Crowther 25 years after 9/11

NEW YORK CITY - Twenty-five years later, Welles Crowther is still being remembered for saving more than a dozen people during the terror attacks at the World Trade Center on September 11. 

The backstory:

On September 11, 2001, 24-year-old Welles Crowther worked in finance on the 104th floor of the south tower of the World Trade Center. Instead of escaping danger during the terror attacks on 9/11, Welles began climbing back up the stairwells to help rescue people on higher floors. 

He's credited with saving more than a dozen people, including carrying one woman to safety on his back. Welles' mother, Alison Crowther, might never have known about her son’s heroism had it not been for the red bandana he wore around his face. 

Welles got his first bandana from his dad when he was a kid with the advice to always carry one. She learned of her son’s bravery after she read newspaper accounts from survivors who talked about being helped by a man who had his face covered with a red bandana.

What they're saying:

Welles trained to be a volunteer firefighter when he was a teenager, following in his father's footsteps.

His family and firefighters say what he learned helped him save lives on 9/11.

Big picture view:

In the 25 years since 9/11, Welles' story of courage has been written about in books and portrayed in a documentary. 

Just recently, President Trump awarded Welles the presidential medal of freedom. Welles' father died a few years ago, but his sisters and mother are still working to cement Welles' legacy. 

There’s a foundation in his name, so future generations will always remember the bravery and selflessness of the man in the red bandana.