Welles Crowther was working on the 104th floor of the South Tower when the planes hit on September 11, 2001. The 24-year-old had a job as an equities trader, but he also volunteered as a firefighter back home. When the attack happened, he did what he was trained to do and helped people get out.
Crowther always kept a red bandana with him. His dad gave it to him when he was just six years old, and he carried it everywhere. He wore it when he played sports at Boston College and even kept it on his work desk. That day, he tied it around his face to protect himself from the smoke.
People trapped on the 78th floor were scared and did not know what to do. As per ABC7, then Crowther showed up and told them to follow him. He knew where to go. Judy Wein was one of the people he helped save. She later said: “Without him I wouldn’t be here, he saved my life.” She also mentioned that most people would never show that kind of bravery in their whole lives.
This hero went back up not once, but twice
After Crowther got the first group down to safety, he went back up. He carried a woman on his back and walked her down 17 floors. Then he helped another group of people by putting out small fires and treating their injuries before taking them to the stairs.
He went back up a third time. Firefighters saw him right before the building fell at 9:59 that morning. Workers found his body months later in March 2002. He was with several firefighters in the lobby. After he died, his family found papers at his house showing he wanted to join the fire department.
Welles Crowther: The Man In The Red Bandana
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) September 11, 2025
The red bandana still carries the story of former @BCEagles lacrosse player Welles Crowtherpic.twitter.com/EfP1d9j6Kb
His family had no idea what he did that day until almost a year later. In May 2002, his mom Alison read a story in The New York Times about a man in a red bandana who saved people. She knew right away it was her son. She had been worried that he was trapped somewhere and suffering, so finding out he was helping others made her feel better.
The heroic story of The Man in the Red Bandana, Welles Crowther@KFCBarstool @KFCradio
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 11, 2025
pic.twitter.com/urc5C0lnTI
The city made him an honorary firefighter in 2006. His old college now has a special football game every year called the Red Bandana Game. His family also started a charity that teaches kids about being good leaders and helping others. President Barack Obama talked about Crowther when the 9/11 Memorial opened, sharing how he saved so many lives that day.Now Congressman Mike Lawler wants President Trump to give Crowther the Medal of Freedom for what he did. People say he saved up to 18 lives before the tower came down.
