September 11, 2026 • 10 mins
25 years ago the 9/11 terrorist attacks killed almost 3000 people. It was a horrific moment in our history but as in so many cases, heroes were born in the midst of tragedy. Beverly Eckert was speaking to her husband on his cell when she heard the South Tower collapse on top of him. She advocated for 9/11 families . . until she died in another tragedy less than 8 years later.
Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's been 25 years since the 9-11 attacks left almost
3,000 people dead and thousands more in the aftermath. For
those of us who were around on that day, it
is etched in our minds and our hearts. For those
born later, this is a moment in which to look
back at some of the stories and try to understand
the impact that day had on us. One of those
(00:21):
stories involves 9-11 widow Beverly Eckert, who lost her husband,
Sean Rumi, that day. She became a driving force in
the creation of the 9-11 Commission, asking tough questions in Washington.
I'm Patti Steele. But in a tragic turn of events
just a few years later, Beverly also lost her own life.
Her story is next on The Backstory. We're back with
(00:49):
The Backstory. It was 25 years ago today, and depending
on your age, you might have first-hand memories of the
terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Personally, I was working
on the radio in New York City when somebody called
into the studio to say he'd seen what looked like
a missile hit one of the Twin Towers. We were
(01:09):
just a few miles north. I rushed to the ABC
radio newsroom to ask if they'd heard anything, but they hadn't.
Seconds later, all hell broke loose as we realized the
North Tower had been hit. We tried to get info
from our traffic helicopter pilots, and then minutes later, we
watched in disbelief as another plane hit the South Tower.
(01:31):
Half an hour later, the Pentagon in Washington was hit
by another hijacked jet. Twenty minutes after that, the South
Tower collapsed. Four minutes later, another hijacked jet crashed into
a field in Pennsylvania after a passenger revolt. And finally,
after another 25 minutes, the North Tower fell. It was
(01:51):
one hell of a day. We couldn't catch our breath
in between each of these horrific tragedies as they came
in one after another. Early on, people from inside the
towers called us and spoke on the air with us,
but after the collapses, as smoke and ash filled the
air outside our studio windows, we spoke to people who'd
(02:11):
been able to run from the buildings in the aftermath.
I had three really tiny children, all under the age
of six, at home in New Jersey, and and was
terrified I wouldn't be able to get back to them
as the city shut down all the crossings. Believe it
or not, I actually tried to figure out if I
had it in me to swim across the Hudson River,
if that was my only option to get back to
(02:32):
my kids. It was two days before I was able
to get home, and nothing would ever be the same.
The 9-11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon,
and on the flight that ended in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, left
its mark on all of us. But among the thousands
of personal stories, that of Sean Rooney and Beverly Eckert
(02:53):
is almost unbelievable. Beverly lost Sean that day, and it
lit a fire within her. Her story did not end
that morning. In a lot of ways, that was when
a second chapter of her life began, one in which
she was devoted to making sure that the nearly 3,000
people killed on 9-11 wouldn't become just stats in a
(03:14):
history book. Sean and Beverly had known each other since
they were teenagers, meeting at a high school dance in Buffalo,
New York, when they were both 16 years old. They
eventually married and built a life together in Stamford, Connecticut.
Sean worked in financial services and became a vice president
at Aon, a financial risk management firm located in the
(03:35):
World Trade Center. On September 11th, he was working on
the 98th floor of the South Tower. Beverly was at work,
but she went home when the attacks began. At first,
Sean called to tell her that something had happened at
the neighboring North Tower, and he wanted her to know
he was safe. Then the situation changed. United Airlines Flight
(03:57):
175 struck the South Tower. Sean called Beverly again. He
was trying to find a way out and eventually made
his way up to the 105th floor, hoping to reach
the roof and be rescued. The whole time, he continued
communicating with his wife. For Beverly, those phone calls... became
the final connection between them. She stayed on the phone
(04:18):
as long as she could. Then she heard the South
Tower collapse and Sean was gone. Beverly was suddenly a widow.
But in the weeks that followed, she discovered that being
a victim's family member came with a whole lot of questions.
Families needed info. They needed help understanding compensation programs. They
wanted answers about what had happened and how they'd been
(04:40):
allowed to happen so we could prevent another catastrophe. Beverly
met another Connecticut mother, Mary Fetchit, who had lost her
24-year-old son, Brad, and they began organizing Voices of September 11th,
a place where families could get info and support and
also have a collective voice in Washington. Beverly became one
(05:01):
of the most recognizable advocates for the families. They all
pushed for a full, independent investigation that would examine the
intelligence failures and the warnings that had been missed. Beverly
became part of the Family Steering Committee, which worked to
establish the 9-11 Commission. Beverly had never planned to become
a political activist, but she understood that if she stayed silent,
(05:25):
there was a danger that the story of 9-11 would
eventually be reduced to numbers, ceremonies, and political arguments. She
wanted us all to remember that behind every number was
a person, a husband, a wife, a son, a daughter,
a parent, a friend. and she wanted answers to difficult questions.
What had gone wrong? What warnings had been missed? And
(05:47):
what had to change? She also became an important voice
in discussions about the memorial at Ground Zero. For families,
the World Trade Center site was where their loved ones
had died. It was sacred ground, and it needed to
properly honor those lost. When Beverly spoke publicly, she talked
about the man she loved, the man who enjoyed carpentry,
(06:09):
building furniture for their home, the guy who, despite his
long commute, walked through the door and always wanted to
know where his hug was. That personal connection gave her
public advocacy an immense power. She could talk about government policy,
intelligence failures, and national security, but she could also remind
(06:29):
people why those issues mattered. Because someone was missing from
the dinner table. Someone wasn't coming home. Those stories told
the story. In 2004, she tearfully told ABC News that
it was a calling that fell to her after her
husband died. I didn't choose this role, she said. My
husband was killed. I owe my husband, I owe his memory,
(06:53):
to make something of my life after September 11th. Here's
the tragically ironic part. On February 6, 2009, just weeks
after taking office, President Barack Obama invited Eckerd and other
9-11 family members to the White House, to discuss national
security and counterterrorism issues. The meeting was one of the
(07:14):
first between the new administration and families of the victims
of 9-11. Six days later, on February 12, 2009, Eckert
boarded Continental Connection Flight 3407 to Buffalo, New York, where
she planned to celebrate what would have been her late
husband's 58th birthday with his family. She and Sean had
(07:36):
met at a dance at Canisius High School in Buffalo
when they were both just 16, and she was also
scheduled to present a Canisius High School student with a
scholarship created in Sean's name. But the Bombardier Q400 plane
she was on crashed during its approach, killing all 49
people on board, including Beverly, as well as one person
(07:58):
on the ground. It was devastating to the 9-11 community.
She was such an important part of all our work,
said Mary Fetchit, another 9-11 family activist. But even her
death had meaning. The crash of Flight 3407 led to
sweeping aviation safety reforms in the United States, including stricter
(08:19):
pilot training requirements, enhanced fatigue regulations, and a new rule
requiring most airline first officers to hold an airline transport
pilot certificate with significantly more flight experience. In the end,
said Beverly's sister, at least we know she's now with Sean.
Maybe the most important part of Beverly's legacy is what
(08:41):
happened after her death. The organization she helped create continued
its work. Voices of September 11th is a long-term resource
for families affected by the attacks, recognizing that the crisis
doesn't necessarily end when the TV cameras leave. For many,
grief lasts decades. The need for information and community lasts,
(09:04):
and the need to remember lasts. 25 years ago, the
9-11 attacks changed America. They changed airport security, national security,
and foreign policy. But Beverly Eckert reminds us of another change,
the way ordinary people can become extraordinary when circumstances force
(09:24):
them to act. So her story is ultimately not about
the day she lost Sean. It's about everything she did
after that day. I hope you're enjoying The Backstory with
Patti Steele. Please leave a review and follow or subscribe
for free to get new episodes delivered automatically. And feel
free to DM me if you have a story you'd
(09:46):
like me to cover. On Facebook, it's Patti Steele, and
on Instagram, RealPattiSteele. I'm Patti Steele. The Backstory is a
production of iHeartMedia, Premier Network. The Elvis Duran Group, and
Steel Trap Productions. Our producer is Mike Peseglia. Our writer
is Jake Kushner. New episodes are out every Tuesday and Friday.
(10:10):
And feel free to reach out to me with comments
and story suggestions on Instagram at Real Patty Steele and
on Facebook at Patty Steele. Thanks for listening to The
Backstory with Patti Steele. The pieces of history you didn't
know you needed to know.
It's been 25 years since the 9-11 attacks left almost
3,000 people dead and thousands more in the aftermath. For
those of us who were around on that day, it
is etched in our minds and our hearts. For those
born later, this is a moment in which to look
back at some of the stories and try to understand
the impact that day had on us. One of those
(00:21):
stories involves 9-11 widow Beverly Eckert, who lost her husband,
Sean Rumi, that day. She became a driving force in
the creation of the 9-11 Commission, asking tough questions in Washington.
I'm Patti Steele. But in a tragic turn of events
just a few years later, Beverly also lost her own life.
Her story is next on The Backstory. We're back with
(00:49):
The Backstory. It was 25 years ago today, and depending
on your age, you might have first-hand memories of the
terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Personally, I was working
on the radio in New York City when somebody called
into the studio to say he'd seen what looked like
a missile hit one of the Twin Towers. We were
(01:09):
just a few miles north. I rushed to the ABC
radio newsroom to ask if they'd heard anything, but they hadn't.
Seconds later, all hell broke loose as we realized the
North Tower had been hit. We tried to get info
from our traffic helicopter pilots, and then minutes later, we
watched in disbelief as another plane hit the South Tower.
(01:31):
Half an hour later, the Pentagon in Washington was hit
by another hijacked jet. Twenty minutes after that, the South
Tower collapsed. Four minutes later, another hijacked jet crashed into
a field in Pennsylvania after a passenger revolt. And finally,
after another 25 minutes, the North Tower fell. It was
(01:51):
one hell of a day. We couldn't catch our breath
in between each of these horrific tragedies as they came
in one after another. Early on, people from inside the
towers called us and spoke on the air with us,
but after the collapses, as smoke and ash filled the
air outside our studio windows, we spoke to people who'd
(02:11):
been able to run from the buildings in the aftermath.
I had three really tiny children, all under the age
of six, at home in New Jersey, and and was
terrified I wouldn't be able to get back to them
as the city shut down all the crossings. Believe it
or not, I actually tried to figure out if I
had it in me to swim across the Hudson River,
if that was my only option to get back to
(02:32):
my kids. It was two days before I was able
to get home, and nothing would ever be the same.
The 9-11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon,
and on the flight that ended in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, left
its mark on all of us. But among the thousands
of personal stories, that of Sean Rooney and Beverly Eckert
(02:53):
is almost unbelievable. Beverly lost Sean that day, and it
lit a fire within her. Her story did not end
that morning. In a lot of ways, that was when
a second chapter of her life began, one in which
she was devoted to making sure that the nearly 3,000
people killed on 9-11 wouldn't become just stats in a
(03:14):
history book. Sean and Beverly had known each other since
they were teenagers, meeting at a high school dance in Buffalo,
New York, when they were both 16 years old. They
eventually married and built a life together in Stamford, Connecticut.
Sean worked in financial services and became a vice president
at Aon, a financial risk management firm located in the
(03:35):
World Trade Center. On September 11th, he was working on
the 98th floor of the South Tower. Beverly was at work,
but she went home when the attacks began. At first,
Sean called to tell her that something had happened at
the neighboring North Tower, and he wanted her to know
he was safe. Then the situation changed. United Airlines Flight
(03:57):
175 struck the South Tower. Sean called Beverly again. He
was trying to find a way out and eventually made
his way up to the 105th floor, hoping to reach
the roof and be rescued. The whole time, he continued
communicating with his wife. For Beverly, those phone calls... became
the final connection between them. She stayed on the phone
(04:18):
as long as she could. Then she heard the South
Tower collapse and Sean was gone. Beverly was suddenly a widow.
But in the weeks that followed, she discovered that being
a victim's family member came with a whole lot of questions.
Families needed info. They needed help understanding compensation programs. They
wanted answers about what had happened and how they'd been
(04:40):
allowed to happen so we could prevent another catastrophe. Beverly
met another Connecticut mother, Mary Fetchit, who had lost her
24-year-old son, Brad, and they began organizing Voices of September 11th,
a place where families could get info and support and
also have a collective voice in Washington. Beverly became one
(05:01):
of the most recognizable advocates for the families. They all
pushed for a full, independent investigation that would examine the
intelligence failures and the warnings that had been missed. Beverly
became part of the Family Steering Committee, which worked to
establish the 9-11 Commission. Beverly had never planned to become
a political activist, but she understood that if she stayed silent,
(05:25):
there was a danger that the story of 9-11 would
eventually be reduced to numbers, ceremonies, and political arguments. She
wanted us all to remember that behind every number was
a person, a husband, a wife, a son, a daughter,
a parent, a friend. and she wanted answers to difficult questions.
What had gone wrong? What warnings had been missed? And
(05:47):
what had to change? She also became an important voice
in discussions about the memorial at Ground Zero. For families,
the World Trade Center site was where their loved ones
had died. It was sacred ground, and it needed to
properly honor those lost. When Beverly spoke publicly, she talked
about the man she loved, the man who enjoyed carpentry,
(06:09):
building furniture for their home, the guy who, despite his
long commute, walked through the door and always wanted to
know where his hug was. That personal connection gave her
public advocacy an immense power. She could talk about government policy,
intelligence failures, and national security, but she could also remind
(06:29):
people why those issues mattered. Because someone was missing from
the dinner table. Someone wasn't coming home. Those stories told
the story. In 2004, she tearfully told ABC News that
it was a calling that fell to her after her
husband died. I didn't choose this role, she said. My
husband was killed. I owe my husband, I owe his memory,
(06:53):
to make something of my life after September 11th. Here's
the tragically ironic part. On February 6, 2009, just weeks
after taking office, President Barack Obama invited Eckerd and other
9-11 family members to the White House, to discuss national
security and counterterrorism issues. The meeting was one of the
(07:14):
first between the new administration and families of the victims
of 9-11. Six days later, on February 12, 2009, Eckert
boarded Continental Connection Flight 3407 to Buffalo, New York, where
she planned to celebrate what would have been her late
husband's 58th birthday with his family. She and Sean had
(07:36):
met at a dance at Canisius High School in Buffalo
when they were both just 16, and she was also
scheduled to present a Canisius High School student with a
scholarship created in Sean's name. But the Bombardier Q400 plane
she was on crashed during its approach, killing all 49
people on board, including Beverly, as well as one person
(07:58):
on the ground. It was devastating to the 9-11 community.
She was such an important part of all our work,
said Mary Fetchit, another 9-11 family activist. But even her
death had meaning. The crash of Flight 3407 led to
sweeping aviation safety reforms in the United States, including stricter
(08:19):
pilot training requirements, enhanced fatigue regulations, and a new rule
requiring most airline first officers to hold an airline transport
pilot certificate with significantly more flight experience. In the end,
said Beverly's sister, at least we know she's now with Sean.
Maybe the most important part of Beverly's legacy is what
(08:41):
happened after her death. The organization she helped create continued
its work. Voices of September 11th is a long-term resource
for families affected by the attacks, recognizing that the crisis
doesn't necessarily end when the TV cameras leave. For many,
grief lasts decades. The need for information and community lasts,
(09:04):
and the need to remember lasts. 25 years ago, the
9-11 attacks changed America. They changed airport security, national security,
and foreign policy. But Beverly Eckert reminds us of another change,
the way ordinary people can become extraordinary when circumstances force
(09:24):
them to act. So her story is ultimately not about
the day she lost Sean. It's about everything she did
after that day. I hope you're enjoying The Backstory with
Patti Steele. Please leave a review and follow or subscribe
for free to get new episodes delivered automatically. And feel
free to DM me if you have a story you'd
(09:46):
like me to cover. On Facebook, it's Patti Steele, and
on Instagram, RealPattiSteele. I'm Patti Steele. The Backstory is a
production of iHeartMedia, Premier Network. The Elvis Duran Group, and
Steel Trap Productions. Our producer is Mike Peseglia. Our writer
is Jake Kushner. New episodes are out every Tuesday and Friday.
(10:10):
And feel free to reach out to me with comments
and story suggestions on Instagram at Real Patty Steele and
on Facebook at Patty Steele. Thanks for listening to The
Backstory with Patti Steele. The pieces of history you didn't
know you needed to know.
Host
Patty Steele
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!