06/07/2025
On the morning of September 11, 2001, Michael Hingson was working on the 78th floor of the North Tower. He couldn’t see the flames or the falling debris outside his window — he’d been blind since birth.
But he could feel the building shake. He could hear the chaos. And beside him, his guide dog, Roselle, had just awakened from her nap.
She wasn’t panicked. She wasn’t afraid. And that’s how Michael knew: they had a chance to survive.
With Roselle leading the way, they began descending 1,463 steps — through smoke, jet fuel, injured survivors, and rising panic.
At one point, a colleague broke down: “We’re not going to make it!”
Michael calmly replied, “If Roselle and I can do it, so can you.”
Roselle kept walking. Down and down. Firefighters passed them, heading up — many never came back down.
They reached the lobby just minutes before the tower fell.
Outside, the sky turned black with dust. Michael couldn't see — but now, neither could anyone else. Still, Roselle guided him safely through collapsing streets, stopping at the edge of a stairwell that would lead to clean air underground.
She never left his side.
That day, Michael never let go of her harness.
And she never let him fall.
Roselle passed away peacefully in 2011, her work done. But for one man — and everyone who hears their story — her legacy lives on.
Because bravery doesn’t always bark.
Sometimes, it just walks beside you… one step at a time.
~Ifestory
