About a year after widespread power failures canceled his appearance, a survivor of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center made good on his promise to speak at Shaler Area High School on Monday.
Stanley Praimnath, 69, of Long Island was one of only 18 people who were at or above where United Airlines Flight 175 hit the south tower on Sept. 11, 2001, who survived. He began traveling and speaking about his experience five months after and left his career in banking in 2006 to become a licensed minister.
“I know in my spirit this is what God wants of me,” he said.
For Shaler Area teacher Eric Schott, Praimnath has been a presence in his classroom for 20 years. He is featured in a National Geographic video, “Inside 9/11: Zero Hour,” that Schott, who teaches honors world literature and journalism, shows to his students to use in writing assignments.
After taking students to the Flight 93 memorial, Schott wanted to get someone in the video to speak at his school. He either didn’t hear back or was told their fees ranged from $10,000 to $20,000, which just would not work.
Moved by Praimnath’s story, Schott sent a letter to him in September 2024. When he got a call from an unknown number in New York, Schott didn’t answer it — only realizing a few minutes later he had a voicemail from Praimnath.
They talked for 45 minutes.
“He’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met,” Schott said. “I felt like I knew him. He’s been in my classroom for 20 years.”
Praimnath didn’t want payment to appear. His only request was that Schott find him a church to speak at the weekend before.
“I’ve traveled from schools and colleges, government offices, churches, all around the country and outside, so people call me, invite me and I go,” he said. “I feel this is something I must do, but it doesn’t get easier.”
After Praimnath wasn’t able to speak at the school last year, Schott said they kept in touch and set a new date.
Praimnath made the seven-hour drive from Long Island to the Pittsburgh area with his wife, Jennifer.
For a gathering of Schott’s students in the auditorium, Praimnath recounted the day he had gone to work and almost didn’t go home to his wife and two daughters. After the assembly, he answered questions from Schott’s journalism students in the school library.
“Twenty-five years ago, I thought I was going to die,” he said. “It is because of grace and mercy and God’s love I’m able to live, to tell the good news.”
Praimnath said he wanted to tell the students, who were born after 9/11, about God, his grace and the atrocity that was committed on U.S. soil.
“We were probably the most giving country in the world, doing just good. We did not deserve what we got,” he said. “I want to remind these younger folks, don’t forget about the atrocity that was committed on our soil.”
Then an assistant vice president for Fuji Bank, Praimnath had an office was on the 81st floor of World Trade Center 2, the south tower. He had not known about the first plane that hit the north tower, not even when loved ones started calling and asking whether he was OK.
After looking out a window and seeing what had happened, Praimnath decided to evacuate but was told his building was OK and to return to his office.
Praimnath saw United Airlines Flight 175 flying toward him.
“All I remember saying, and I don’t know why I said it, (is) ‘Lord, I can’t do this, you take over.’ That’s all I said, and I dove under the desk,” he said. “And all hell broke loose.”
Battered, bruised and bleeding, Praimnath called out for help and was heard by Brian Clark, a Canadian business executive from the 84th floor. Praimnath punched through a wall and was pulled out by Clark, whom Praimnath credits with saving his life.
While they and others made their way down to the ground, Praimnath said others went up, thinking they could be airlifted from the roof. But following the February 1993 bombing of the trade center, when being airlifted off wasn’t possible because of wind, the door to the roof had been sealed. Those who went up didn’t have time to get down and died, he said.
Praimnath and Clark were two blocks away when the south tower fell.
When Praimnath first tried to call his wife, she didn’t believe it was him because she was sure he was dead.
“I said, ‘I’m coming home to you girls,’ ” he said.
Because he survived 9/11, Praimnath was able to walk his daughters, Stephanie and Caitlin, down the aisle. He and his wife now have two grandchildren.
He has been back to Ground Zero only twice. He has never been there for an anniversary and won’t be there this year for the 25th.
“It is, to me, a very special place. It’s more of a cemetery to me than a museum. It’s where loved ones passed away,” he said.
The World Trade Center is not the only challenge Praimnath has survived. He had a severe case of covid early in the pandemic, followed by leukemia in 2020 and skin cancer six months later, and a quadruple heart bypass in 2024.
“By God’s grace, I’m still alive,” Praimnath said. “Why, how, I don’t know.”
Praimnath had a simple message for the students:
“There is grace. There’s a lot of love, and if you ask with all your heart and soul and mind and body, God is gonna hear, he’s gonna answer. We never know when he’s gonna answer, but whenever it is it’s the appropriate time.”