Michael Hingson and His Guide Dog Roselle, and Their Escape From the North Tower on 9/11

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Michael Hingson sat in his office on the 78th floor of the World Trade Center’s North Tower, accompanied by Roselle, his devoted guide dog. Suddenly, a deafening explosion shook the building, and flames and debris became visible through the windows. The urgency to evacuate was immediate.

Blind since birth, Michael had spent years memorizing the building’s layout and emergency procedures. Trusting Roselle completely, he began the descent down more than 1,460 stairs through smoke-filled hallways thick with the smell of jet fuel. Along the way, frightened coworkers joined them, some frozen by fear. Near the 50th floor, when panic threatened to take over, Michael’s calm voice and Roselle’s steady guidance helped keep the group moving safely.

Upon reaching the lobby, they were warned of falling debris and bodies outside. Acting quickly, Michael and his companions moved through a nearby building and eventually found relative safety in a subway station, the rumble of the collapsing towers echoing above them. Throughout the evacuation, Roselle’s keen instincts kept Michael from danger, refusing to move forward until it was safe, saving lives with each step. Hingson later said, “While everyone ran in panic, Roselle remained totally focused on her job, while debris fell around us, and even hit us, Roselle stayed calm.”

After the attacks, Hingson changed careers from a computer salesman to working for the Guide Dogs for the Blind as Public Affairs Director. Hingson and Roselle appeared on numerous television shows including Larry King Live, the CBS Morning Show and Regis and Kelly. They also appeared on a float during the 2002 Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA.

In 2004, Roselle was diagnosed with immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, but medications were able to control the condition. In March 2007 she retired from guiding after it was discovered that the medication was beginning to damage her kidneys. She continued to live with Hingson, who was assigned a new guide dog, Africa.

On June 24, 2011, Hingson suspected that something was wrong with Roselle and took her to her local vet, who diagnosed her with a stomach ulcer. Roselle died two days later on June 26, at 8:52 pm. In her memory, Hingson and Susy Flory wrote a book of his 9/11 experience entitled Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero which became a New York Times Bestseller. Michael and Karen Hingson subsequently set up Roselle’s Dream Foundation, a  charitable foundation to raise money to help vision-impaired people engage more fully in everyday life.