Story perspectives

Voicemail Reveals Joseph Pick’s Final Moments on 9/11

By Drooid · Sep 12, 2026, 2:14 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Joseph Pick left a voicemail for his wife at 9:01 a.m., two minutes before Flight 175 hit the South Tower.
He was on the 94th floor, above the impact zone, making rescue impossible.
In the call he said he was okay, heard a man jump, and saw a plane heading toward him.
His nine-year-old daughter Jeannette Puccio-Pick recalled the voicemail on the attacks’ 25th anniversary.

History

Historical Context

The 1993 World Trade Center bombing on February 26 1993 shattered the North Tower’s underground garage, killing six and exposing structural vulnerabilities. The FBI’s subsequent investigation allocated $2.5 million to enhance security protocols, prompting the Port Authority to install 1,000 additional surveillance cameras throughout the towers. On September 11 2001, Joseph Pick recorded a 9:01 a.m. voicemail from the 94th floor of the South Tower as Flight 175 struck, echoing the earlier tower vulnerability. The tragedy spurred the 2002 Aviation and Transportation Security Act, mandating universal passenger screening and reshaping emergency communication protocols nationwide.

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Story summary

Joseph Pick left a voicemail for his wife at 9:01 a.m., two minutes before Flight 175 hit the South Tower.
He was on the 94th floor, above the impact zone, making rescue impossible.
In the call he said he was okay, heard a man jump, and saw a plane heading toward him.
His nine-year-old daughter Jeannette Puccio-Pick recalled the voicemail on the attacks’ 25th anniversary.

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