Thousands will gather at Lambeau Field on Saturday in Green Bay for the annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb . It honors the 343 firefighters who lost their lives in the September 11 attacks. Among those participating is a Wisconsin couple with a story of incredible survival.
John and Donna Kneeley from Mountain, WI were inside the Twin Towers when the planes hit. Thanks to one brave firefighter, they found the strength to survive. Now, they are determined to keep his sacrifice alive.
Inside the Towers on 9/11
John and Donna were on the 77th floor of Tower One when the unthinkable happened. At 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into their building, 16 floors above.
“It felt like the building was kicked,” Donna said. “We looked out the windows, and it just looked like a ticker tape parade, all the debris coming down.”
The couple quickly made their way to the stairwell and began the long descent. For the first several floors, the stairway was mostly empty.
But by the time they reached the 29th floor, the situation changed.