An incredible story of survival too good to be true | Forensic Files

[Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at any
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and for a more detailed list of content warnings please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our
website at 9:12 a.m. on Tuesday September 11 2001 24-year-old Wells krather left a voicemail for his
mother speaking calmly he said Mom this is Wells I wanted you to know that I'm okay 9 minutes earlier a hijacked
commercial aircraft had been deliberately flown into the South Tower of New York City's World Trade Center
marking the second major catastrophe that morning 17 minutes earlier its neighboring twin Skyscraper the North
Tower had been similarly hit the 110 story south tower was struck between floors 77 and 85 several floors
beneath the office where Wells Crowther worked as an equities Trader after Wells phoned his mother to let her
know he was alive he raced down to the sky Lobby on the 78th floor the tip of the plane's Wing had
torn through the space leaving burning Carnage in its wake a group of Dazed and frightened survivors huddled at a bank
of damaged elevators nursing injuries ranging from Burns and broken bones to cracked ribs and punctured
lungs Wells immediately took control of the chaotic situation and directed the survivors to an emergency stairwell that
led to the ground level carrying one woman on his back he guided the group down over a dozen floors before urging
them to go on without him he then headed back upstairs by the time Wells made it back
to the 78th floor the area was overcome by thick dark smoke he stripped it down to his T-shirt pulled a red bandana from
his pocket and secured it over nose and mouth so that he could breathe Wells navigated through the
debris until he came across more injured survivors he retrieved extinguishers to
put out the surrounding Flames before administering first aid he then calmly announced everyone who can stand stand
now if you can help others do so Wells led the group to the stairwell as they rushed out onto the
street Wells remained in the tower to continue helping others at 9:59 a.m. 56 minutes after the
plane's initial impact the South Tower collapsed it was followed 29 minutes later by the North
Tower in the aftermath of 9/11 stories from survivors surfaced about a mysterious man who had sacrificed his
life to rescue them in the South Tower they recalled the distinct red bandana he had worn across his face
which earned him the title The Man in the red bandana when Allison kther read an
article about the brave young man in the New York Times she immediately knew who
it was as a child Wells Crowther watched his father Jeff get ready for church Jeff kept a comb handy which he
wrapped in a blue bandanna tucked into his right hip pocket one day Jeff gave his son his own
bandana in his preferred color of red it quickly became wells's trademark he wore it under his sports
uniforms in high school and had it on him throughout his travels after graduation as he entered the corporate
world Wells kept his lucky bandanna at his desk or in his back right pocket of his
pants when his colleagues asked why Wells would reply with this red bandana I'm going to
change the world when shown photographs of Wells Crowther the survivors confirmed he was the man
who had saved them wells's remains were recovered 6 months into to the extensive
cleanup of Ground Zero he was found alongside the bodies of firefighters and Emergency Services
Personnel who had been operating a Command Center in the South tow ground Lobby it was believed that Wells had
joined the other Rescuers as they were preparing to free those trapped above before everything came crashing
down courage Duty and Care had been a major part of Well's character throughout his life while he loved
working in the World Trade Center he hoped to one day get a job helping others directly in the meantime he was a fully
trained volunteer firefighter and used those skills to save as many as 18 lives in the South
Tower speaking about Wells One Survivor said people can live 100 years and not have
the compassion the wherewithal to do what he did stories of Well's actions on 9/11
helped his loved ones heal after the tragedy they established the Well's Cowa charity trust an organization that
Awards young people who serve their communities they hoped that wells's story would Inspire others to be more
altruistic in their day-to-day lives his mother Alis said we took a great peace in knowing
that Wells up until the end was being very courageous doing what he wanted to do he must have felt very fulfilled that
day knowing he was helping others [Music] in the wake of 9/11 an organization was
founded called the World Trade Center United families Group which aimed to help those affected by the attacks
reconstruct their lives the group was primarily for the families of those who died in the
tragedy but survivors were also encouraged to join and seek support the group's online Forum offered
individuals a place where they could speak to fellow survivors who understood firsthand what they were going through
inside their online community survivors were met with empathy understanding and comaraderie as they bonded over their
Collective trauma they shared their harrowing stories and helped each other overcome
immense feelings of grief guilt and regret on Tuesday May 13 2003 20 months after 9/11 a post was uploaded on the
survivors Forum by a new user it read I am only starting to feel the consequences now despite having tried so
hard to put it all behind me I don't sleep I see and hear the images and sounds I'm Moody my Stress and Anxiety
have skyrocketed and a variety of other things for so long I pretended to be okay that it is now hard to to admit
this is actually happening I think I need to talk to someone about this and tell my story but I don't see how I will
manage that going through at once was more than enough the user signed their post off
with their name Tanya head Tanya's post elicited supportive comments from other survivors who
welcomed her to the group and encouraged her to share her story they explained that their Forum was a
safe non-judgmental and cathartic space to discuss all aspects of 9/11 Tanya was praised for the courage
it took for her to come forward the group awaited her opening up to them when she was
ready Tanya sporadically posted on the Forum throughout May and June she was 28 years old and originally from Spain but
had immigrated to the US during her youth by 2001 she was working for the distinguished investment management
company meril Lynch in the World Trade Center's south tower like others she was struggling
immensely in the aftermath of the attack while she maintained a happy disposition in real life internally she
was suffering she rarely left her apartment and whenever she closed her eyes she was plagued by images of
crashing planes crumbling buildings and mangled bodies little things like the sounds of planes overhead or the flicker
of a candle flame triggered frightening memories depression and panic attacks prevented Tanya from returning to work
and had contributed to her gaining weight while she was grateful for the support the other survivors showed her
she wasn't ready to share her full story just yet in June members of The Forum organized a visit to the remains of the
Twin Towers the area was coined off as cleanup efforts were still underway but they intended to stand outside the
barricade to reflect and grieve in each other's company Tanya had initially accepted the
invitation but on the night before it was due to take place she phoned one of the organizers to cancel she said she
was still fragile and wasn't ready for survivors of 9/11 the road to recovery was fraught with
difficulties priority was given to those who died and the loved ones they'd left
behind in contrast survivors were regarded as the lucky ones and were expected to be grateful that they still
had their lives some felt their suffering was overlooked or misunderstood by the
general public media and government this feeling was Amplified when an invite only event was held at
Ground Zero to Mark the 2-year anniversary of the attacks and some of the survivors were turned
away in fact none of the survivors had ever been permitted to access the site unlike the
families of those who had passed efforts to arrange a private tour were also denied adding to ongoing
feelings of invisibility for many survivors survivors vented their growing frustrations online with a lot of their
tensions directed towards the World Trade Center United families group one morning Tanya head logged into
the forum and suggested of the two groups split they could create their own online support group completely
independent of the United families Tanya wrote I think it's important that we stick
together other users agreed and by that afternoon they had established the World
Trade Center survivors Forum within their new online space users were able to open up like never
before the switch appeared to liberate Tenya who began posting more on this forum than she had the
original eventually she felt comfortable to recount her personal Story of Survival Tanya said she was cheering a
meeting in a conference room on the 96th floor of the South Tower when the first
plane hit the North Tower Tanya and her colleagues flocked to the windows where they observed the large smoking crater
the aircraft had left in the neighboring sky I scraper survivors of the impact emerged
from the debris and clung to the crater's edge waving and crying out for help as explosive Flames inched closer
behind them facing a terrible fiery death the survivors took matters into their own
hands some attempted to scale down the building to safety While others jumped or fell to their
deaths it was a confronting and distressing sight that would haunt T forever Tanya used her mobile phone to
call her fiance David but the line was busy a message was then relayed over the South Tower's public address system
urging occupants to stay put the collision at the North Tower was believed to be an isolated incident and
no one else was thought to be in any danger despite this reassuring message Tanya decided to leave she made her way
to the Bank of elevators in the sky Lobby on the 78th floor where an anxious crowd had already
formed Panic said in and the crowd began pushing closer to the elevator doors Tanya recalled hearing one man
yell ladies this is not the Titanic it's not women and children first then a hysterical voice cried out
there's another plane coming there's another plane coming the deafening Roar of the approaching
jet grew As It sped towards the South Tower within seconds the plane made contact and erupted into a powerful
Fireball its wings shattered through the walls and collapsed the ceiling Tanya felt a tremendous increase
in pressure all the air in her lungs was sucked out and for a moment it seemed as
though she was flying through the air then everything went black after recounting this experience to the
World Trade Center survivors Forum Tanya stopped I find it very hard to talk about what happened afterward she
[Music] admitted the community rallied around tya until she felt comfortable to open
up a little more she recalled that after being knocked unconscious by the impact of the
South Tower Collision she woke up under a broken slab of marble that had once been part of a
wall several fires illuminated the devastation around her lying alongside Tanya was a colleague who had been
decapitated other mangled and Char bodies were scattered about while the weary voices of survivors cried out in
the darkness smoke burned T's lungs thick dust almost blinded her and pain radiated through her body
she agonized over the realization that this moment was going to be her last just as taner accepted her fate
someone began hitting her on the back each thud brought her immense pain she begged the person to stop only to
realize that her clothes were on fire and a man was using a jacket to Pat out the
Flames a red bandana covered the lower half of his face but tya could see his Brown eyes were
kind just stay awake he told her the man said he was going to show Tanya the way out reassured by his calm
presence Tanya mastered the strength to pull herself out from under the rubble that's when she noticed that her
right arm was severely burnt and hanging from her body by a thread of senu she tucked it into her jacket to
keep it together the man in the red bandana supported Tanya as they climbed and crawled through the
wreckage each movement brought Tanya agonizing pain and she doubted she could go
on her rescuer encouraged her by saying just keep moving along the way the pair came
across a badly burnt man gasping for air Tanya knelt beside him and he handed her something small and
hot it was a gold wedding ring inscribed with a woman's name and the word forever please give this to my wife he
begged I'll find her and I'll give it to her Tanya replied just as she placed the ring into
her pocket the man took his final breath Tanya proceeded onwards with the man in the red
bandana they eventually reached the door to an emergency stairwell where the man
placed his hand on Tanya's shoulder and said go you can do this Tanya's mind raced with thoughts of
her life her family her fiance and their upcoming wedding compelled to power on she began
her descent the man helped her down each painful step until the smoke cleared and
the rest of the way became clear he removed his bandana looked at Tanya resolutely and reassured her that
she would be safe just keep going down I have to go back up and help other people he said
before heading back towards the wrecked Sky Lobby Tanya hobbled down until the pain
exhaustion and blood loss became too much and she passed out she was soon stirred awake by a firefighter who told
her we're leaving here together he carried Tanya down the remaining 20 floors and out onto the
street they had barely made it out when the ground began to shake the thunderous sound of crushing
concrete and metal filled the air people all around began running away in panic Tanya was thrust under a fire
truck just as the South Tower collapsed behind her her next memory was waking in
hospital 5 days later her arm had been reattached but she would only ever have partial use of it and the burns GS would
remain Tanya's distraught parents were by her side where's Dave she asked Tanya's fiance David worked for a
consulting firm on the 100th floor of the North Tower she would come to learn that he
didn't make [Music] it Tanya head's survival was nothing short of incredible in the North Tower the plane
had hit between floors 93 and 98 in a manner that decimated all forms of Escape at the crash side and above over
1300 people died there were no survivors it might have been a similar outcome in the South Tower had it not
been for two special circumstances firstly the emergency stairwell was far enough from the Impact
Zone to remain usable secondly the man in the red bandana Wells Crowther Survivor Ling young described
Wells as their Guardian Angel saying without him we would be sitting there waiting until the building came
down Tanya head was one of the lucky few saved by Wells that day but the loss of
her fiance in the North Tower made her experience uniquely devastating she was the only person to
be both a tower survivor of the 9/11 attack and a bereaved family member of a life it
[Music] claimed Tanya's extraordinary story soon caught the attention of Jerry bogaz a
planning director for the New York metropolitan Transportation Council Jerry had fled from the North
Tower before it collapsed but several members of his team had stayed behind and died in their devastating aftermath
Jerry spearheaded several in-person survivors meetings throughout the city as a means of
support it was through these that he learned about Tanya head and was in awe of her
story he reached out to Tanya online and the two bounded over their shared ordeal like Jerry Tanya was using her
struggles as motivation to help others she said it gave her the will to live Jerry was struck by Tanya's optimism and
resilience despite all she had lost he invited her to attend one of his meetings set for Saturday January 24
2004 and she willingly accepted while no one in any of the Survivor circles had met Tenya in real
life yet everyone knew her story and she'd become somewhat of a celebrity among them but didn't relish the
attention when she attended Jerry baz's meeting the other guests found her to be
unassuming and shy while she was responsive and grateful for their support she was happy
to sit quietly as the meeting took place around her Jerry bogas spoke of his vision to
create a nonprofit organization specifically for 9/11 survivors that would help Empower individuals to find
renewed purpose the organiz ization intended to implement a day of recognition titled
survivors day and aimed to finally get survivors access to Ground Zero from there they hoped to provide
input on a memorial for the site the group settled on a name the World Trade Center survivors
Network Tanya suggested that the network joined forces with her online group the
survivors Forum Not only would they have more political clout with greater numbers
they could also share the arduous task of identifying and reaching out to the thousands of people who had survived
9/11 to offer their support by the end of the meeting Tenya had come out of her shell and was
fiercely determined that night she sat at her computer contacting an array of people
who could help the network and its members 6 weeks later Tanya sent a an email to the survivors Network
announcing good news she had contacted the World Trade Center site supervisor and after years of inexplicable
rejection she had successfully negotiated a private visit to Ground Zero the group was
elated the tour took place on Friday May 14 2004 with 20 survivors opting to take
part unlike those around her this was not A's first visit to Ground Zero because her fiance had died in the
attacks she had gone on one of the first Private Tours held for family members of
the deceased this new opportunity allowed Tanya to focus on comforting her companions who were eternally thankful
for what she had done after being granted access to the 16 Acre Site the survivors were
permitted to descend a ramp to the bottom of the pits where each Tower had once stood
it was a confronting and somber experience that fueled varied emotions some felt a sense of peace and
closure While others grappled with oppressive sadness Tanya spoke of feeling David's
presence all around [Music] her in stories about her fiance Tanya detailed how they had fortuitously met
outside the World Trade Center in February 199 9 the pair had finished work in their
respective Towers when they headed out onto the street Heavy Rain was pelting across the city so t beelined for a cab
idling nearby just as she went to hop in a man slipped into the back seat from the
opposite side he was handsome with a radiant smile and striking blue green eyes he offered her the cab on the
condition that she' take his business card and call him his name was David and at 24 years old
he was 2 years younger than Tanya and worked for a consulting firm in the North Tower offended by his bold arrogance
Tanya had no intention of calling him 2 weeks later Tanya was in the World Trade Cent's Concourse when David tapped
her on the shoulder and remarked I never should have let you have that cab because you never called
flustered ten agreed to a quick coffee date the pair spent the next 3 hours chatting David spoke of his love for the
outdoors his selfless charity work and his plans for the future Tanya told him about her
privileged upbringing in Barcelona that led to her business tycoon father uprooting her family to the
US despite her inherited entitlements and wealth Tanya grew to be a humble and compassionate person with an enthusiasm
for social activism at age 17 she was recruited by the number one International Management
School in the world she was accepted early into Harvard University for an undergraduate degree before earning a
graduate business degree from Stanford University this helped her secure a job with meral Lynch in the South
Tower when Tanya had to pull herself away for a work meeting David insisted I have to see you
again a whirlwind fairy tale romance followed according to Tanya David was the type of guy who everybody
loved nicknamed Big Dave he was a stickler for time could recite all the lines from the film Braveheart and had a
habit of misplacing things but what Tanya loved most about David was his sensitive side he always
put others first as evident in his volunteer work at a soup kitchen he was also a hopeless romantic the type to
serenade tenure in public and recite poetry to her he loved children and wanted several of his own to Tanya he
was almost too good to be true given that money wasn't a problem for either of them the couple were able
to travel overseas and by a beach house in the Hamptons they eventually settled into a
luxurious New York apartment with a golden retriever they named Elvis their love story culminated in a
dinner at the top of the North Tower where David proposed they planned a high society
wedding with 500 guests for early October 2001 but the preparations weren't smooth
sailing Tanya found herself exasperated by the influence David's mother had on every decision which resulted in the
couple arguing almost every day just as Tanya was starting to have doubts she returned home to their
apartment to find a trail of rose pedals leading to the dining room there David was waiting in a
coconut bra and grass skirt dancing the hola a spread of Hawaiian dishes adorned
the table all prepped by David himself he revealed that he had purchased them two tickets to Hawaii
leaving the next day the pair spent the next few days in a Grand Resort in Maui typically
reserved for celebrities while there David surprised Tanya with an elaborate and picturesque
wedding ceremony he had organized entirely by himself right down to her dress it was a magical experience but
the pair still intended to go through with their official wedding in New York on Tuesday September 11 2001 Tanya
arrived at work in a tense mood she and David had argued that morning over another Petty grievance
something she would come to regret as their final encounter yet it was thoughts of him and
their upcoming wedding that had given her the courage to escape from the south tower writing about it on the survivors
forum she recalled I wanted to wear that white dress and swear my love for him in front of
friends and family I wanted to have his children I believe today that he stopped
to give me the strength to get out of there on his way to heaven years later as Tanya stood in the
pits where the Twin Towers once stood she remined on these moments among the flowers and cards
other survivors had placed she left a letter to David that detailed how much she loved and missed
[Music] him at the end of the survivor's visit to Ground Zero the group encircled tya
and showered her with gratitude thanks to her they had taken a much needed step forward on their
healing Journey Tanya smiled kindly but later confided in a FR that the visit had been
very hard for her seeing the pain of her fellow survivors was heart-wrenching and
she was now grieving for David even more she intended to visit David's childhood town where a memorial garden
was constructed in his honor although Tanya explained that it would be hard to see his name etched in
stone and she knew she'd cry for days afterwards she was just glad he was being recognized she appreciated David's
family whom she stayed close with and visited often tya vented to her friend about another
issue she was dealing with anyone who applied to join the survivors Forum was automatically accepted as the group
trusted in people's good faith yet one member began making some suspicious posts that led the group to
deduce he wasn't a 9/11 Survivor at all but had made up his story for attention tener expressed discomfort
that the fraudster had been reading their personal posts he had since been banned and policies were enacted that
led tya to believe it wouldn't happen again she wrote to her friend I mean who would want to fake
being a World Trade Center Survivor right Tanya was happy to sacrifice her time to continue advocating for the
World Trade Center survivors Network she was a regular at the in-person meetings where she Drew in
others with her Unbreakable Spirit they applauded as she detailed all the things she was doing on their
behalf in addition to managing the online forum she organized survivors speakers events held writing workshops
met with Publishers who could assist in producing books on their stories and plotted a documentary with a
filmmaker she used her own money to print t-shirts branded with the survivors network logo hosted
light-hearted outings throughout the city and held fundraisers she even found a specialist
trauma expert to lead therapy sessions Tanya did all of this with infectious joy that made survivors
forget their pain whenever they were in her presence they couldn't help but be impressed with how well she was coping
compared to them with her radiant warmth and willingness to lead Tanya quickly became
the face of the 9911 survivors While most survivors struggled to describe or remember what they had
witnessed that day Tanya could repeat her story in mesmerizing detail Survivor stories typically
featured one or two key elements they either saw the plane's impact were inside one of the towers at the time had
witnessed the falling bodies or had run from the crashing buildings Tanya had experienced it
all her severely scarred withered right up was a testament to the horrors she endured Not only was hers a truly
remarkable unique account it also featured the lorded 9911 hero Wells Crowther yet Tanya never tried to one up
the other survivors or act like she had it worse to her all their stories were equally valid she didn't hog the
spotlight try to profit off of her story or bask in media attention mention in fact she seemed somewhat intimidated by
it when she was approached for interviews she was often reluctant to participate she was just happy and
comfortable to remain an honored figure within the closet Survivor circles and for all her work she never
asked for anything in return all she wanted was a sense of appreciation and to see others follow in her lead
yet even tya had her bad days where she was uncharacteristically Sullen sometimes she disappeared for
days at a time while ignoring calls and messages she confided in a friend that she wasn't rebounding nearly as
successfully as she led on anti-depressants prescribed by her therapist did a little to curb recurring
nightmares of 9/11 she barely slept and Som day she couldn't Master the energy to leave her
apartment whenever she was inside a building she feared a plane would hit air travel was intimidating as she
imagined hijackers were on board she was also worried that she would never find a man she loved as much
as David Tanya told her friend she kept these feelings to herself because she didn't want to burden anyone
confiding it seems no one cares about about how much I suffered what I saw she lamented that she should have
died explaining now I can't find meaning in anything I do all of this makes me mad
and it makes me wonder what it is that I'm doing here why is it that I continue to be haunted by the images of that day
I'm so tired of trying to make sense of any of this of trying to cope with my situation
over the coming months Tanya's appearances became sporadic both online and in real
life when the third anniversary of 9/11 arrived tya forwent expectations to attend Ground Zero telling other members
of the survivors Network that she would be spending time with David's parents instead they were private people who had
chosen not to appear at any 9/11 related public event it was in respect to their
privacy that Tanya hadn't yet revealed David's last name to anyone in January 2005 Tanya volunteered
to take a humanitarian trip to Southeast Asia to help those who had recently been
impacted by the devastating Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami which claimed over 200,000
lives Tanya kept the survivors Forum updated on her experience by sending nearly 30 Page Long writings that
covered everything from the meals she ate to the work she did in villages delivering supplies and rebuilding
infrastructure those 10 days were eye openening for tya She Wrote of the personal growth she went through seeing
other survivors coming to terms with the death and destruction around them it also answered the question that she had
been agonizing over why did she survive now she understood it wasn't to pick up the piece and try and return to
her old life that could never happen it was to help others in the month after Tanya returned
to the states she appeared at a Meetup for the survivor's Network it had been a while since the group had seen her and
she was greeted with a standing ovation and a round of applause her overseas humanitarian work
had boosted Tanya's enthusiasm and she seemed to be back to her normal energetic
self she threw herself back into her advocacy work for the network becoming its co-chair alongside its founder Jerry
bogar she worked into the night making calls and sending emails reaching out to bureaucrats and other influential New
Yorkers until they got the recognition they sought plans and policies were starting
to be implemented with 9/11 survivors in mind Tanya also kept her Promise by working to identify the man who
entrusted his wedding ring to her before the collapse of the South Tower after months of devoted research
Tanya finally tracked her down his widow Tanya gave her the ring in private with no F or medor
attention while she was happy to talk broadly about the poignant experience out of respect for the woman's privacy
Tanya refused to divulge her or her husband's name for all of Tanya's hard work one of her
biggest tasks was yet to come after the remains of the Twin Towers were cleared a set of 37 steps
that had once connected the skyscraper Plaza to the street below remained during the attacks hundreds of
survivors had used these stairs as their path to Freedom the stairs had managed to
withstand both the collapse of the buildings and the subsequent demolition work referred to as Survivor staircase
they were set to be removed as part of the Redevelopment at the behest of the survivors Tanya successfully campaigned
for the steps to remain untouched and become a feature of the memorial when an offer was put forward
seeking volunteers to lead walking tours of Ground Zero Tanya was the first to respond with her positive reputation she
was the ideal King candidate and was invited to try out she carried out several test tours during which she
guided tourists through the 911 site while detailing the history of the Twin Towers the subsequent attacks and her
escape on her own valtion Tanya told her followers about David and showed them her scarred
arm her story left listeners in tears Tanya's story encapsulated both the tragedy and Triumph of New York on
9/11 she was therefore asked to lead a walking tour for three of New York's most powerful politicians Governor
George Pataki Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former mayor Rudy Giuliani although tya was delighted by
the recognition she was hesitant to accept she told a friend there was so much at stake she'd only ever told her
story to other survivors tourists or at small scale private functions this would be a major press
event with dignitaries camera Crews and journalists which would thrust T into the international
Spotlight she wasn't sure she was ready and feared she'd mess everything up Tanya's friend reassured her
saying they wouldn't have picked you if they didn't believe in you [Music] the walking tour was scheduled to take
place on Friday September 9 2005 that morning Tanya head was a nervous wreck jittery and teary eyed she
considered pulling the plug entirely her supporters had never seen her like this they assumed she was
grappling with painful memories and felt intimidated by her esteemed guests that wasn't the case
Tanya explained she was overwrought by the large media presence and didn't want to answer any of their
questions her fellow survivors gave her comfort and encouragement reminding her how important the publicity was to the
Network's Vision this would Mark the first time a 9/11 Survivor was featured front and
center at a major event by the time the tour was scheduled to begin Tanya managed to come her
nerves at the preceding press conference Mayor Michael Bloomberg stated it's heartening to know that the
September 11th story will be told with accuracy with honesty and with a great heart with a newfound sense of
confidence Tanya then led the way while recounting her miraculous Story of Survival those in attendance were
captivated with Governor George [ __ ] remarking that they were very very grateful and proud of
T after the tour the Press bombarded Tanya with questions and interview requests but her Entourage kept them at
Bay saying Tanya was too exhausted to engage at that time even without Tanya's direct
participation her story made headlines and it soon came to the attention of Wells crowther's parents Jeff and
Allison the couple reached out to Tanya wanting to meet her in person but Tanya was reluctant she claimed that family
members of 91 victims asked too many questions and pride for specific details which forced her to dredge up painful
memories when she couldn't give them the answers they sought they often turned hostile towards her one encounter had
triggered her to have a panic attack but by early 2006 Tanya had a change of heart she was willing to
reconsider the crowther's requests on one condition their meeting was to be private and confidential with no media
or anyone else present the Crowther happily agreed they were just delighted to hear from another
person who owed their life to their son on the day of the meeting Tanya was once again overwhelmed with
anxiety she decided that she wasn't going to say anything to the crows they would have to do all the
talking and respect her choice to remain silent a friend urged tya to reconsider
reminding her that it was the crowther's son who had saved her life meeting each
other was a gift for all those involved Tanya went ahead with the meeting and the Crowther immediately
embraced her while they sensed Tanya's apprehension they spoke to her as if they were longtime
friends Tanya sat quietly as the crowthers recounted stories of Wells from his interests and hobbies to the
close relationship he had with his two sisters Tanya told the couple that Wells sounded a lot like the man she
married with that her defenses came down and she told them her story she spoke of how WS had found her
and led her to the stairwell of the words they shared and His Kind Eyes Jeff and Allison were moved to
tears before they went their separate ways they gave Tenya a gift a red bandana the crows asked tya to speak at
a memorial event for their son later that year she told other survivors that she didn't want to but felt like she
couldn't refuse the group was surprised by her cool indifference toward the Crowther
family Not only was it unlike Tanya to be dispassionate and impolite she'd had no quals telling her story in the
past ever since the ground zero walking to her with the politicians Tanya's fellow survivors had a noticed a shift
in her attitude her grace and optimism were often overshadowed by frustration anxiety and
indignation she was prone to snapping at members of the Survivor Network and fostering animosity within the
community while she'd typically gone out of her way to help other survivors she was now dismissive of them as though her
story was the only one that mattered she began exuding arrogance and network members were getting fed up with
some even leaving the group as a result Tanya went from fronting intimate survivors meetings to being invited to a
wide range of heavily publicized 9/11 related events from charity walks to testifying at a congressional
hearing whenever she expressed a desire to step back from the spotlight she realized the days of anonymity were
gone the ground zero tours were taking place six times a day 7 days a week and her story was reaching people from all
around the world everyone knew T head on the day of BS crowther's Memorial event Tanya was in such a state
of panic that one of her friends had to escort her to the lecon and give the speech on her
behalf speaking of the struggle she'd had preparing for the event Tanya's speech
said what exactly do you say to the family of the man who saved your life and gave his in the
process but then I thought about what WS would do if our roles were reversed and
he was asked to do this for me this is what gave me the strength to be here today in Her speech Tanya revealed that
she told wells's story to her family every Christmas to honor and preserve his memory she also kept a picture of
him in every room of her home so he was always with her Tanya's speech ended in many ways I feel Wells and I
keep each other alive Wells you are my hero I live my life to make you proud T head's story boosted the
survivors Network out of obscurity and by 2007 it was a powerful and respected advocacy group with thousands of
members Tanya was given the role of President a position created just for her with all the good she'd done she was
seen as the perfect person to feature in a New York Times article for the upcoming 6th anniversary of
9/11 ten agreed to participate but when it came time to sit down with the journalist she cancelled and began
ignoring their calls Tanya told other members of the group that she didn't want to make the
network all about her but to them it was clear that something else was going on ever since the article request Tanya
had been visibly irritated she began skipping events and acting increasingly hostile and cruel to those around
her some feared she was heading towards a mental breakdown Tanya blamed the stress of the
New York Times article for her recent behavior and said she no longer wanted to go ahead with
it but the journalist David Dunlap started contacting other survivors and asking some strange questions that had
nothing to do with 's Survival Story had they ever been to her apartment or seen pictures of her
fiance Tenya accused David Dunlap of stalking and harassing her as revenge for rejecting his interview offers he
apologized for upsetting her saying he was just interested to know why she was so reluctant to speak with
him Tanya's supporters asked David to email through his questions instead so that Tanya could answer them in her own
time he immediately sent through two pages worth his questions covered everything from where Tanya had gone to
school to whether she was still employed by Merl Lynch he also wanted to clarify whether
Tanya had been engaged or married at the time of the 9/11 attacks as she'd referred to her deceased partner as both
her fiance and husband there were also questions about what hospital Tanya had been treated in
after 9/11 and if a doctor or nurse there could attest to her remarkable recovery the question sent Tanya into a
fit of rage to the dismay of other members of the network if she didn't want to answer the
questions herself they suggested she pass them on to her in-laws or her employer or give the journalist the
names of the people from her story who could corroborate her version of evance Tanya refused
as the pressure to participate in the article mounted she confessed to the real reason she was avoiding the New
York Times she wasn't a US citizen this only confused survivors more given her prominence and
respectability in the country they were certain no one would care the day before the article was
scheduled to drop tya sent an email to the survivors Network that read as you know the New York Times is going
to publish an article about me I ask all of you to please not listen to what is in the article but reflect upon what you
know of me on Thursday September 27 2007 the article appeared on the front page of
the New York Times with the title in a 9/11 survival Tale the Pieces Just don't fit it
began Tanya head's story as shared over the years with reporters students friends and hundreds of visitors to
Ground Zero was a remarkable account of both life and death but no part of her story it turns
out has been verified journalist the David Dunlap had done his due diligence when it came to
every claim Tanya had made over the past few years and he' discovered that nothing added
up Harvard and Stanford universities had no records of a student called Tanya head nor had meril Lynch ever employed
someone by that name Tanya didn't have an office in the World Trade Center and there was also no proof that she' gone
to Southeast Asia in 2005 to perform humanitarian work the truth about Tanya's fiance
David was a little more complex to unravel there was indeed a man named to David who had died in the North Tower
everything about him matched with Tanya's description of her deceased partner from his age to his job to the
fact that he was a likable Outdoorsman who loved to travel write poetry and volunteered at a soup
kitchen but when contacted prior to the release of the New York Times article David's family friends and colleagues
all said they'd never heard of Tanya head David hadn't been engaged had never traveled to Hawaii and he lived with
roommates not a girlfriend according to the New York Times article quote few people it seems who embraced
the gripping immediacy and pain of Tanya's account ever asked the name of the man whose ring she had returned or
that of the hospital where she was treated or the identities of the people she met with in the south tower on the
morning of 9/11 journalist David Dunlap explained that he couldn't find a single person
who recall encountering Tanya had at the World Trade Center on 9/11 while Tanya had told dramatic
stories about the family members of victims the only ones she'd ever forly met were Jeff and Allison
Crowther the crowthers told David Dunlap that Tanya had promised to send them a piece of the scorched jacket she had
worn on 9/11 as it was one of the last things their son had touched she failed to deliver on that
promise she had also agreed to donate the jacket to a tribute Center that displayed 9/11 artifacts but never
followed through like the rest of America the crowthers were left stunned by Tanya's
betrayal and the way in which she'd exploited Well's memory to fuel her deception Jeff kther told the New York
Times she seemed so heartfelt and genuine his wife Allison later told Channel 4 we took her on just complete trust and
faith we had no reason not to believe everything she was saying to [Music] us it turned out that Tanya's real name
was Alicia EST head born in Spain to a prominent and affluent family she was the youngest of five
children as the only girl Alicia was considered to be her parents Jewel and they gave her everything she
wanted her family split their time between three lavish homes mingling with politicians and European royalty on
yachts and at exclusive clubs Alicia liked to boast about her family's wealth and social position her
expensive clothes and her top tier education that was until 1992 when her father and
brother were embroiled in a highly publicized multi-million Financial Scandal both wound up in jail for
embezzlement bringing shame to their family's name Alicia distanced herself from the
men in her family and desperately tried to regain her pride and honor she focused on her career hoping to
establish herself as an influential and respected businesswoman her Fierce ambition made her notably
ruthless Alicia was known to pit co-workers against each other so that she could get ahead and she surrounded
herself with people who didn't overshadow her she was also known for being generous in a way that made others feel
as though she was buying their friendship throughout her childhood Alicia was known to lie to get attention
and boost her self-esteem as she got older that behavior escalated she typically made up stories
whenever she felt frustrated or bored with her life they were mostly just harmless fibs centered around fictitious
boyfriends the lengths of her deception took a dramatic turn in September 2001 while Alicia claimed to have been
working in the World Trade Center when the September 11 attacks took place the reality was that she had been in bus
Salona where she was enrolled in a master's program at a university specializing in
economics there was no record of her taking a leave of absence around that time nor did any of her classmates
recall her sporting any injuries the damage to Alicia's right arm was the result of a previous
accident though exactly what caused it remained Up For Debate to some Alicia said that she'd been driving in a
Ferrari with her fiance traveling at 200 km an hour when the vehicle crashed Alicia's right arm was severed
and needed to be reattached while her fiance died as a result she told others the injury was
caused by a horse riding accident at Apollo Country Club as one Spanish journalist later
recounted to channel 4 Alicia rest of head was a very good actress because with all these lies I never found anyone
telling me I didn't believe her Alicia graduated in May 2002 telling her classmates that Barcelona wasn't big
enough for her dreams it was no secret that Alicia had been obsessed with America from a young
age she learned American English traveled to the states often and had an American flag on her bedroom
wall it therefore came as no surprise to those who knew her when she departed for
New York City where she started going by the name Tanya in hindsight it was clear that
Tanya's fictitious 9/11 Survival Story was woven from genuine reports as everything she detailed about the day
was factually correct it appeared that she'd undertaken extensive research before
first presenting herself to the Online survivor community in May 2003 with the truth about Tanya head
coming to light criticism was directed at the media for not factchecking Tanya's claims before printing them but
as the Morning Call newspaper pointed out Tanya head managed to rope in a traumatized the group of survivors a
traumatized City and a traumatized Nation because she lied about something that in most people's imagination nobody
would dare lie about still Tanya had drawn a degree of Suspicion over the years some found it
odd that Tanya had never shown them any photos of her and her fiance David together when they visited Tanya's
apartment the Golden Retriever named Elvis that she and David had apparently B together was always out on
walks T had promised to take some of her Survivor friends to the Hampton beach house where David's belongings were
allegedly stored but she kept cancelling at the last minute minut it one had been driven to search David's
name online but found no mention of him being engaged or married at all while some had felt uneasy about
Tanya's claims they'd been unsure of how to address it Tanya had a tendency to get emotional whenever someone asked
about her ordeal and they didn't want to pry and make things worse others were acutely aware of
Tanya's influence and power among the survivors Network work and they didn't want to risk being kicked out of the
community they relied on for support the fear of Tanya was justified a 9/11 Survivor named Lisa once attended
a charity event with Tanya who wore a t-shirt that bore a photo of her fiance David Lisa immediately recognized him as
one of her colleagues she was surprised to learn that David had been engaged he'd never
once mentioned it at work Lisa tried to speak to Tanya about their Mutual connection but Tanya became
dismissive saying it was too painful to talk about after that Tanya turned the survivors Network against Lisa and she
was no longer welcome in the group a similar thing happened to the survivors Network founder Jerry
bogas after years of close friendship tan abruptly started campaigning against a Jerry saying he no longer had the
tenac or leadership skills to front the group Jerry couldn't believe what was happening the kind and selfless T he
once knew had become mean-spirited and calculating she convinced the survivor's Network to remove Jerry and was then
promoted to president Jerry was devastated it wasn't until Tenya was exposed as a fraud that he realized why
she must have suddenly turned on him driven by a mix of curiosity and suspicion Jerry had asked Tanya for her
fiance's last name he then checked it against the 911 victim list and confirmed it was
there satisfied with these findings Jerry moved on but it was shortly after this that Tanya pushed to have him
removed from the network before the release of the New York Times article journalist David
Dunlap had only been able to get one quote from Tanya on a phone call 2 days before the article went to print Tanya
stated I have done nothing illegal she wasn't wrong under American law for Tanya to be
charged with fraud she would have had to deceptively obtain property from another
person for her own benefit during her time with the survivors Network investigations
revealed that Tanya didn't earn or take anything all her work was unpaid and she
had only ever donated her own money to the cause and large amounts of it authorities were
powerless while Tanya's actions were clearly immoral they weren't illegal for years filmmaker Angelo Gul
Elmo had been working directly with tanad to create a documentary about the survivors of
9/11 in the aftermath of the New York Times article Angelo headed to Tanya's apartment seeking an
explanation he found her looking disheveled and overcome with rage and self-pity she blamed her situation on
the media asserting they were out to get her she was also bitter that the survivors Network had turned on her
after everything she'd done for them her membership had been revoked and the role
of president had been assigned to another member no one in the group had reached
out to Tanya and several had publicly expressed their indignation Tanya showed no remorse
telling Angelo how could they say all these terrible things about me what kind of
friends are these realizing Tanya wasn't going to admit to anything Angelo left unsure what to do with his
documentary in light of the recent Revelations he discussed the matter with the survivors
Network they agreed that Angelo should finish the project while also highlighting everything Tanya did both
good and bad when Tanya found out about it she was Furious she phoned Angelo warning one day the truth will come out
and you'll all feel terrible and apologize to me after the release of the New York
Times article Tanya attempted to reach out to a few friends via email but only one was willing to
talk they were surprised to find that she was Unapologetic and depicted herself as the
victim after this Tanya more or less vanished she maintained sporadic contact with a few people saying she was moving
to a new apartment had a new job and was working with a therapist when members of the survivors
Network received a mysterious email from a Spanish account alleging that Tanya head had taken her own life they were
skeptical they believed Tanya had sent the email herself 3 years later on Thursday
December 23 2010 Angelo Gul Elmo was in New York when he spotted Tanya out of the corner of his eye he rushed over put
his hand on her shoulder and said her name startled Tanya jumped back and yelled get away from me don't speak to
me she gave Angelo the middle finger and took off Angelo was so shocked that he walked
away he later regretted that he didn't press Tanya for answers 9 months later on Wednesday
September 14 2011 Angelo was walking down the street when Tanya obliviously passed by him
again shaking with nerves Angelo retrieved his camera from his backpack and began following
her Tanya was with her mother who'd previously insisted she didn't know a thing about her daughter's
deception the pair headed to the East River where they stopped to admire the sunset Tanya looked happy and
carefree Angelo continued to follow Tanya as she entered a boutique hotel Angelo waited outside mulling over
what he should do next 2 hours later Tanya reappeared alone and addressed for a party as she
walked towards a bus stop Angelo became overwhelmed with anger he headed towards her with his
camera rolling as soon as Tanya recognized Angelo she started shaking her head and
her body stiffened don't come near me Angelo she ordered get away from me Angelo didn't
stop filming Tanya reached out for the camera at which point Angelo exploded yelling
how dare you don't you have any feelings for the people you've hurt Tanya don't you have any feelings at
all Tanya pulled out her mobile phone and said she was calling the police Angelo turned off his camera and
walked away reflecting on the experience he later said I took no pleasure in that
encounter that night I replayed the video and cringed I felt sad and sorry did that mean I forgave her who
the hell knows I didn't even know who she was Angelo's documentary on the survivors
Network and Tanya head was released in 2012 with the name the woman who wasn't there he also co-wrote a book with the
same title since her fall from grace Tanya head has remained out of the public eye
aside from fleeting sightings in New York It is believed she returned to Barcelona to live with her
mother in recent times her name and image was used for an account on the professional networking platform
LinkedIn the profile matches tenya's biography and claims she is working and living in New York efforts to verify
this information have come up a dry given that Tanya never claimed any accountability for her fake 911 Survival
Story the question Still Remains why did she do it some believe Tanya showed signs of
pseudologia fantastica a rare syndrome where individuals represent certain fantasies as real
occurrences it manifests in several ways that include chronic lying with no clear
objective benefit dramatic detailed complicated and colorful storytelling geared to achieve acceptance admiration
and sympathy the stories the elves feature the teller as a hero or victim during her time with the
survivors Network Tanya had started writing about her experience as though she intended to release a
book one passage read it's still all so raw it hurts as much now as then and I still cannot
understand why why why I talked to Dave and told him I was sorry but he didn't answer back our
photos together are ghosts of a life I once had and desperately want back my other half is missing ripped
away from us by human missiles one reporter who read Tanya's writing said it's such [ __ ] I mean now I
look at it and now go wow that's amazing she constructed a very large narrative a big big
story documentary filmmaker Angelo Gul Elmo told NPR it was clear to me right away that
tya did it for the attention for some crazy need to be a star that's what she wanted to be and she became
that one US psychologist stated that Tanya head wanted what most Liars want which is to change the way other people
look at them to be loved and respected and valued and cared about speaking to channel 4 about his
own Theory Jeff kther said it would appear to me that she is an individual with a low
self-esteem very low self-esteem she felt she needed to do something to create a different
T while Tanya head had escaped punishment her actions had a lasting impact on the genuine survivors of
9/11 before T was exposed as a fraud her ability to Triumph in the face of adversity caused others to Harbor guilt
and shame about their struggles many felt their own experience was nothing compared to what Tanya had
gone through and they therefore hesitated to share their stories many also felt they weren't
doing enough to help the Network when Tanya was doing so much despite all she'd suffered
through in reality the reason she was able to put so much time and energy into the network because she wasn't dealing
with any real trauma like the rest of the members were once the truth came out members of
the network felt embarrassed for being duped many of them idolized Tanya but with her deception exposed they felt
like they'd lost another close friend to 9/11 one member said I'm very torn she did a lot of good for our Network it's
hard to discredit it at all but she didn't have to lie she could have done those things without needing to
lie the group's founder Jerry bogaz told Channel 4 that there was a violence to Tanya's
actions it's taking advantage of people he said and if you take advantage of particularly vulnerable people that's
even worse during her time in the network Tanya had received counseling from a therapist who was fully convinced of her
story reflecting back the therapist said it's a case study it's not just a window
into her personality and what she was capable of but of what was going on with the whole n community and what they were
feeling the survivors needed and wanted at so much that they helped create her with Tanya gone members of the
survivors Network were free to speak openly without feeling inadequate however the damage was
already done Tanya's actions had fueled suspicions in the group and members began accusing one another of being
frauds and lying the group ultimately disbanded when the truth was exposed something Tenya head had once said took
on new meaning speaking of 9/11 Tanya remarked sometimes I have to go back and think was it real was it a dream was my
life really like that or was it just all make belief [Music]

Case 286: The Survivors' Network

After two planes struck New York City’s World Trade Center on September 11 2001, Tania Head was one of the lucky few who managed to escape from above the impact zone of the South Tower. Saved by lauded 9/11 hero Welles Crowther, Tania’s incredible and heartbreaking story of survival became an inspiration. Triumphing through trauma, she became the face of a support group called The Survivors’ Network. Yet, as Tania’s fame grew, she became uncharacteristically anxious. Was there more to her story?

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Milly Raso Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn

SOCIAL LINKS

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources, please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-286-the-survivors-network

Brief Summary

Wells Crowther heroically saved lives on 9/11; Tanya Head falsely claimed to be a survivor, leading to community betrayal.

Key points

Wells Crowther's Heroism. Wells Crowther, known as the 'Man in the Red Bandana,' saved many lives during 9/11.
Formation of Survivor Support Groups. Survivors create their own support group to address feelings of invisibility and frustration.
Access to Ground Zero. Tanya Head successfully negotiates a private visit to Ground Zero for survivors.
Tanya's Love Story with David. Tanya recounts her whirlwind romance with David, culminating in a proposal at the North Tower.
Survivor's Forum Challenges. Tanya navigates the complexities of the Survivor's Forum, including a fraudulent member.
Tanya's Humanitarian Trip. Tanya volunteers in Southeast Asia after the tsunami, finding purpose in helping others.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

We took a great peace in knowing that Wells... was being very courageous.

Wells's mother's reflection on his bravery.

6:00WatchJun 1, 2024

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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