Civilian first responder remembers 9/11 25 years later

Reporter Madeline Murray has his story, and why he said it's so important to remember.

(KYMA) - 25 years after 9/11, one first responder is sharing his memories of the days following the attacks.

Paul Eliacin spent hours at Ground Zero during the rescue and recovery efforts, capturing rare photos and video of the devastation.

"We weren't running from, we were running to," Eliacin shared. "An ambulance would come in. Whether it be a finger, an arm or a complete body...everybody would stood in attention and salute."

Eliacin said on September 11, 2001, he was at home when he saw the attack on the news.

"And that could very well be smoke at this point, but there has been a giant, a giant either explosion or collapse of something in downtown Manhattan," Eliacin remembered.

He then wasted no time joining a group of people to help out on Ground Zero.

"We head down to Ground Zero on the third day and entering Ground Zero. Forget about it. It was like a war zone. It was like a war zone," he expressed.

Eliacin said when he got there, he was able to help give lights, cable, and generator trucks so that they can continue to save lives from the pile.

"Today's generation is, you know, they weren't born. A lot of them weren't born 25 years later, and most of the younger generation nowadays is a historic event to them...but for us, we're still leaving the pain and the heartache," he spoke.

Eliacin dedicated up to 16 hours a day at Ground Zero, which ended up leaving him with several illnesses such as a respiratory disease, severe sleep apnea, and PTSD.

Despite all the hardships he went through, he said it was worth it to inform the younger generations about the travesties that happened that day.

"It's the reason why I call it, we are calling it 'The Lights on 9/11.' And so, the film will commemorate and honor. The resilience of the firefighters, police officers, and also the victims and their families," Eliacin said.

Three days after 9/11, he would return back to lower Manhattan where he went on to capture over five hours of never before seen footage and over 300 raw photos of the disaster.

The footage will be featured in his documentary showcasing stories of grief, courage, and recovery.

"I would ask everybody to reflect on honoring all of the families and their victim for what they went through and the heroes that was there," Eliacin declared.

Eliacin also said it's important to remember because it's a part of our history that we swore we would never forget.