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CNN Live At Daybreak

Elaine Duch: A WTC Survivor's Story

Aired January 30, 2002 - 05:57   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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: A woman who survived the September 11 attack on the north tower of the World Trade Center is finally out of the hospital. Elaine Duch still has a long way to go, but she already has defied the odds.

CNN's Jason Carroll has this incredible survivor's story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She entered the room in a wheelchair, wearing a fire department baseball cap and an I love New York pin. Elaine Duch's strong feelings about this city are obvious, but thoughts on how she survived the attack on the World Trade Center are just as clear.

ELAINE DUCH, WTC SURVIVOR: A strong will. I didn't want to die. God saved me.

CARROLL: Duch worked as an administrative assistant for the Port Authority, which owned the World Trade Center. She was on the 88th floor of the north tower when the first plane hit.

DUCH: There was like fire. I was in the hallway in my office and then all of a sudden there was like a fire. And if I was a few feet further in, I would have been probably blown up.

CARROLL: Duch walked down more than 40 flights. Burns covered more than 77 percent of her body. Her outlook was so grim when she finally got out, a priest issued last rights. The moment captured by a photographer. The paramedic standing above her is Paul Adams.

PAUL ADAMS, EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN: She just walked towards us. She was very nice. We seen her clothes were still smoking, you know half hanging off. We just grabbed her. We put her on a stretcher, me and my partner, Moose, and we did, you know, gave her -- put on burn sheets, oxygen.

CARROLL: Adams visited Duch in the hospital every Sunday. He knew what her chances were at one point, just 10 percent. But Duch kept fighting, had seven surgeries, a blood infection, even a bout with pneumonia. Now her doctors say she's finally ready to leave the Cornell Burn Center to be moved to a rehabilitation center.

DR. ROGER YURT, WEILL CORNELL BURN CENTER: Well you just swell up inside. You really look forward to this day and seeing this type of thing and that's what makes it all worthwhile.

JANET DUCH, PATIENT'S SISTER: She realizes that she is a miracle. And she wants to get back to the way she was, and I think she's going to work very hard towards her rehabilitation.

E. DUCH: I want to just go back to the way I was. As far as plans, I don't know what I plan on doing. Maybe take a nice long vacation.

CARROLL: Duch says when she's ready perhaps she'll go to Atlantic City. She knows she's lucky. Not only did she survive the terrorist attack, she also survived the bombing of the World Trade Center back in 1993.

Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Just gives you chills, doesn't it?

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