Following the terrorist attacks on September 11, bridges and tunnels were closed, leaving hundreds of thousands of people stranded at the southern tip of Manhattan with few ways to escape. The U.S. Coast Guard issued a call over the radio for all available boats to help. Tugboats, ferries, fishing boats, and privately owned vessels answered that call. Captains, crews, and volunteers rushed toward Manhattan, carrying people to safety across the waterways. In less than nine ho