Kevin Michael Cosgrove (January 6, 1955 – September 11, 2001) was an American insurance senior business executive who served as vice president at Aon Corporation. A victim of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, Cosgrove is notable for the 9-1-1 call he made during his final moments, which abruptly ended with him screaming from inside the South Tower as it collapsed. Cosgrove's last words made international headlines, and the recording was used during the prosecution of Zacarias Moussaoui (the only criminal trial to result from the attacks).[1][2]
Kevin Cosgrove | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Kevin Michael Cosgrove January 6, 1955 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | September 11, 2001 (aged 46) World Trade Center, New York City, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Collapse of 2 World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks |
| Resting place | St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery, Huntington, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Vice President of Aon Corporation |
| Spouse | Wendy Cosgrove |
| Children | 3 |
Background and career
editCosgrove met his wife Wendy Cosgrove in 1980 when she was working as a waitress, and they were married a few months later.[3] Cosgrove and his family lived in West Islip, New York.[4][5][6] Cosgrove was a vice president of claims for Aon Corporation and also served as fire warden for the company.[7]
Phone call and death
editAccording to the 9-1-1 recording played during the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui, Cosgrove was located in the northwest corner of the 105th floor in the South Tower, overlooking the World Financial Center when he called 9-1-1 at 9:54 am.[8]
In the recording, Cosgrove tells 9-1-1 dispatchers that he is calling from survivor Jonathan 'Jon' Ostrau's office (Cosgrove misspelled it as John Ostaru) and that he has two other individuals with him (including fellow disaster victim Douglas Cherry). Cosgrove tells the operator "my wife thinks I'm all right; I called and said I was leaving the building and that I was fine, and then bang!"
A 9-1-1 operator later calls him back; he answers, "hello. We're looking in [...] we're overlooking the Financial Center. Three of us. Two broken windows." A rumbling sound is then heard, and Cosgrove is subsequently heard crying out "Oh, God! Oh—!" in terror before his call abruptly cuts off as the South Tower collapses at 9:59 am.[8][9][10]
Aftermath and legacy
editBurial and memorials
edit
Cosgrove's remains were found in the rubble. He was buried on September 22, 2001, at St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery in Huntington, New York.[11] He was 46 years old.[12] He was survived by his wife, Wendy Cosgrove, a schoolteacher, and his three children.[5][2]
Cosgrove's obituary stated that "he could often be seen shovelling the walks of elderly widows in winter and helping elderly couples carry bulky packages throughout the year."[13]
Cosgrove is memorialized at the National 9/11 Memorial at its South Pool, on Panel S-60.[4]
Prosecution of Zacarias Moussaoui
editWendy Cosgrove testified during the punishment phase of Zacarias Moussaoui's trial, in which prosecutors sought the death penalty. Wendy Cosgrove testified about her husband's final moments when he was on the South Tower's 105th floor, and jurors heard an audio tape of Cosgrove's 9-1-1 phone call in which he told a dispatcher "we're not ready to die."[5][14] Wendy Cosgrove also spoke of the negative effects of Cosgrove's death on their children.[5][15]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Jury hears 9/11 victim's scream". BBC News. April 11, 2006.
- ^ a b Stout, David; Lewis, Neil A. (April 11, 2006). "Moussaoui Jury Hears From Grieving Families and From Victims Themselves". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 1, 2011. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ https://www.mcclatchydc.com/latest-news/article24457399.html
- ^ a b "Kevin Michael Cosgrove". Memorial Guide: National 9/11 Memorial. Archived from the original on July 27, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Grim 9/11 evidence shown to Moussaoui jurors". NBC News. Associated Press. April 11, 2006. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ Portraits: 9/11/01: The Collected "Portraits of Grief" from The New York Times. Macmillan Publishers. August 2003. p. 120. ISBN 9780805073607.
- ^ Dwyer, Jim; Lipton, Eric; Flynn, Kevin; Glanz, James; Fessenden, Ford (May 26, 2002). "102 MINUTES: Last Words at the Trade Center; Fighting to Live as the Towers Die". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
- ^ a b Kiehl, Stephen (September 10, 2006). "'I think we're getting hijacked'". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
- ^ Lynch, Benjamin (2023-09-11). "Chilling final calls made by brave people trapped in the Twin Towers on 9/11". The Mirror. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ Rowney, Jo-Anne (2018-09-11). "Heartbreaking final words of those who died inside the Twin Towers on 9/11". The Mirror. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "Kevin Cosgrove - Remembering Sept. 11, 2001 - Ten Years Later". Newsday. September 2011. Archived from the original on June 23, 2012. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ "Small things remind of huge loss" The Chicago Tribune, October 15, 2001.
- ^ Lynch, Benjamin (2023-09-11). "Chilling final calls made by brave people trapped in the Twin Towers on 9/11". The Mirror. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
- ^ "Prosecution Rests in Moussaoui Trial". PBS NewsHour. April 12, 2006. Archived from the original on September 6, 2012.
- ^ "Widow: 9/11 Caused Children's Angst - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2006-04-11. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
External links
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