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CNN Live At Daybreak

America Under Attack: New Yorkers Waiting For News on Loved Ones

Aired September 13, 2001 - 07:12   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We have talked so much over the last 24 hours or so of what it is like for many families in New York City who are awaiting news, either confirmation that they've lost a family member or a status report on their medical condition if, in fact, they were successfully transferred to one of these local hospitals.

Joining us now is a man who is in that very painful kind of limbo, Chris Mills. Welcome.

CHRIS MILLS, GIRLFRIEND IS MISSING: Thank you.

ZAHN: Who are you missing?

MILLS: My girlfriend, Danielle Kousoulis. She worked for Cantor Fitzgerald in the second tower of the Trade Center to fall. I had received a phone call a little bit before nine o'clock that a plane had hit the Trade Center. At that time I don't think anyone knew the severity of what had happened. I had immediately run out of the building -- I was working in midtown -- to try to call her. I tried her on her office phone. I couldn't reach them. By the time I had gotten out to the street, I had friends who were calling me telling me they were seeing what was going on down there and trying to get a hold of Danielle.

I made it about two blocks or so before I could actually see the Trade Center and I got her on the cell phone. And they were on the 104th floor.

ZAHN: You actually established contact with her on the cell phone?

MILLS: I was talking to her my cell phone to her cell phone. She was with other people. I don't know how many other people. They were scared. They didn't know what to do. I don't think they were getting a lot of information at that time. They had broken a window out to get air into the space. There was smoke.

We spoke for a little while. I wish I could remember more of that conversation myself right now.

ZAHN: Could you hear hysteria in the background? Could you hear anything other than her voice? MILLS: You could hear people. You could hear people running around. There was pandemonium. I mean it was very hard. I was walking on the street. I was, you know, I couldn't really tell you what I heard in the background.

We had gotten off of the phone. I don't think they knew the severity of the issue either. She had wanted to call her parents. Other people wanted to use the cell phone. I continued to make my way down to the Trade Center. I think I made it within about five blocks of the Trade Center and I saw the first tower go down.

And at that point I think everybody sat there for a second or so in disbelief.

ZAHN: Said oh my god.

MILLS: And then after the shock, that instant of shock wore off, it was run for your life. I mean there was debris. There was dust. There was a wall of dust basically following everybody running from that area.

I made it to somewhere on the east side. I'm not even sure where I was. I continued to try to call her on the cell phone. Approximately 10:15 the phone rang and she picked up the phone and they were still on the 104th floor, the northwest corner.

ZAHN: Why? Were they trapped?

MILLS: I don't know if they couldn't get out or they weren't getting any information. I can only guess that they couldn't get out. I would...

ZAHN: What did she say at that point?

MILLS: I mean we talked a lit -- you know, I mean we shared, you know, some moments about, you know, each other and I think we were at that point, she didn't know the other building had collapsed. She didn't want to know. I didn't tell her. I said get out, just get out of there, whatever you can do.

At that point they weren't sure if anyone knew they were up there. So again either we lost contact or we got off the phone and I spent the rest of the time running around trying to get in touch with FBI agents, telling people that, you know, there are people up on the 104th floor. They don't know if anyone knows they're up there. They're not getting any contact. And that went on for about 15 minutes and then I saw the second tower go down and I haven't spoken to her since.

ZAHN: When you sat there, you had already watched one tower collapsed and you watched the second tower collapse, did you give up hope at that point?

MILLS: I don't think I gave up hope. I still did not give up hope and still didn't. I don't know how I felt. I still don't know how I feel right now. I spent the rest of the day back in my office where I work watching television, thinking.

About six or seven o'clock people I work with said you know what, we're not doing any good sitting here. Let's go down and try to help out. So since six or seven o'clock yesterday, Tuesday, I've been down there working with the rescue teams just trying to do whatever we can to help out.

ZAHN: Thousands of people are in the same situation you're in this morning. What kind of contact have you had with city officials? What kind of counseling has anybody been given?

MILLS: I don't know what counseling is offered. I personally, I don't think I've gone to look for counseling. I think my own counseling is just being down there and knowing that I'm trying to help other people. You know, if I can help somebody else, I'm sure someone somewhere is trying to help Danielle. That's what makes me feel better right now. I can't really tell you how I feel.

ZAHN: I think, as we leave you, Chris, one of the more poignant scenes last night were many people like you who had tried so hard to go down to this area to offer their help to rescue workers and there was a spontaneous, almost an act of celebration where people were cheering on the rescue workers.

MILLS: I...

ZAHN: They have taken such enormous risks to go in and try to find people like your girlfriend.

MILLS: I drove down the West Side Highway and there were people cheering and it just, I think it rose everybody, it elevated everybody's spirits at that time. And there's some fine people down there, the finest people I've ever seen trying to help. And that's all I can say about everybody right now.

ZAHN: Well, our thoughts are with you. None of us has any idea of what it must feel like to be in the situation you're in.

Thank you very much for joining us at such a painful time of your family's life.

MILLS: Thank you.

ZAHN: We wish you luck.

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