9/11 Survivor: We Finally Found Him

Man survived WTC attack by escaping down stairwell

Don Basco had a bigger reason than most people to be glued to his TV Sunday night as news of Osama bin Laden's death started circulating.

The Dyer, Indiana resident was inside the World Trade Center when the planes hit, but managed to escape.

His wife woke him up Sunday after a reporter called to say bin Laden was dead.

"I was completely elated. Couldn't believe it," Bacso told NBC Chicago. "I couldn't sleep. Stayed up until 1 a.m. watching the news. This is a sense of relief. We finally found him."

Bosco, a computer consultant on assignment with his company, was only supposed to be in New York City for a week, and September 11th, 2001 was his first day on the job.

He was on the 57th floor of the North Tower when the first plane hit, and remembers the building swaying.

"I didn't know if I should go up, down, take the stairs, or the elevator. Just didn't know," Bacso says.

He ended up following his gut and escaping down a flight of stairs.

"One thing I will never forget is the smell of jet fuel. The smell of concrete dust. The sight of the firemen. I will never forget those things," Basco said.

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