DATELINE: 5th October 2001

DIVERS UNDER TWIN TOWERS
Divers were working in subterranean waters beneath New York's World Trade Centre on 11 September when the two hijacked airliners crashed into the towers, it has been revealed.
Waters from the Hudson River run underground close to the site, and four divers were working above some train tunnels up to 270m inside the system, along with four tenders on two boats 150m in. Their ground-level access points lay directly across the street from Tower One, where three more men were stationed.
"I was going to make an inspection dive but stopped to make a phone call in the office trailer," the team's diving supervisor John Chatterton told Divernet. "As I was talking, I heard a whoosh, then an explosion, then a larger explosion. I opened the door and stepped out to see the fireball coming out of the south side of Tower 1."
Chatterton took cover from falling debris before rushing to the access point, passing dead and injured people on his way. "The divers were unaware of any problem, other than "a gust of wind". One of my topside men actually saw the plane hit the tower.
They hurriedly got the team-members to the surface and had only just completed the head count as the second plane struck Tower 2. They "ran like hell" and from a safe distance saw both towers collapse. "All of my men survived - we were all very fortunate," said John Chatterton.
Less fortunate were four firefighters who had been using one of the dive teams's four site trailers as a command post. They were crushed when Tower 2 collapsed onto the trailer.

---