An individual who survived the 9/11 attacks narrates a chilling account of their harrowing escape from the 81st floor of the World Trade Center tower.

On the 81st floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center, David Paventi was present when the first plane struck on 9/11.

Paventi, a banker from Charlotte, North Carolina, was in New York City for business. His company had recently opened a new office in the World Trade Center, which was still being furnished with TV mounts on the walls but no TVs yet installed.

Yesterday, September 9th, Paventi recalls gazing out of a skyscraper window on a day that was so humid and hazy he couldn't see the roads below.

Paventi remembered that there was another gentleman with him on the day they went upstairs to get coffee. He said to Paventi, "How do airplanes not hit this building?"

He dismissed the comment, believing there were air security and control measures to prevent such incidents.

The following day was a clear indication of autumn, as Paventi stated. Prior to commencing their 8:00 a.m. meeting in a conference room on the 81st floor of the World Trade Center building, American Airlines flight 11 struck the North Tower's 93rd floor, 12 floors above Paventi's office.

He described the sensation as if it were what he imagined an earthquake to feel like, although he has never personally experienced one.

"Paventi recounted how he looked up and saw the light shaking over the table. His first reaction was to hide under the table to avoid the light falling on his head. As he was doing so, everyone in the conference room stood up and left the room."

On the day of the bombing at the World Trade Center in 1993, some individuals in the building had been present at the base of the tower.

Paventi trailed behind his colleagues as they exited their workplace and descended several levels of stairs, which he remembered being packed and eerily quiet. He eventually waited for his friend Bob, who had remained behind to ensure everyone had vacated the office. Bob arrived a few minutes later, and they continued their descent together.

""New Yorkers are known for being boisterous and loud, so it's surprising that the stairwell was so quiet," he said."

He recalls being instructed to step aside while a couple of individuals assisted a man with severe burns in descending the stairs rapidly. He and Bob detected an unfamiliar odor in the stairwell, which they now suspect was jet fuel.

The descent of dozens of stories was slow and uneven due to the crowd trying to flee, and Paventi and Bob shared the same unspoken thought that perhaps they were in the wrong place and should try a different staircase to escape faster.

He stated that every time one of them was about to speak, the line would begin to move once more.

"We never left that one stairwell, thank God, because, obviously, we were able to get out." — David Paventi

At the 30th or 40th floors, they received messages about a plane crash into their building. It was then discovered that United Airlines flight 175 had crashed into the South Tower at 9:03.

Paventi said that it took him about an hour and a half to travel from the 81st floor to the lobby. He felt his flight instincts kick in more than panic, and he just wanted to get out. He also remembered seeing firefighters rushing into the building, moving in the opposite direction of everyone trying to escape, which he found to be a sobering memory.

The firefighters paused on the stairwell to catch their breath, wearing full gear and carrying heavy equipment, urging people to continue moving as the ground floor was accessible.

"One of the firemen … I remember him looking up and saying, ‘I get to do all this for 35 grand a year.’'" — David Paventi

Paventi exclaimed, "Wow, that was a real wake-up call!"

Eventually, they arrived at the building lobby, which Paventi likened to a scene from "Die Hard," with shattered windows and scattered debris.

A woman in an official law enforcement jacket instructed Paventi and Bob to run "and don't look back," so they did. Paventi glanced back once to see a massive cloud of smoke heading their way, but they managed to cut a corner and hide behind a building just in time to avoid it.

The terrorist attack made Paventi hesitant to use underground transportation, so they opted for bridges to leave the city. Paventi recalls the South Tower collapsing completely.

"Looking over to where the Trade Center was, I saw our building had disappeared and only rubble, smoke, and debris remained. At that moment, the second tower began to fall, melting into the city. It was a disturbing, eye-opening, and surreal sight."

With the help of a kind stranger, He and Bob hitched a ride to JFK in a rental Chevy Blazer. They first visited Bob's family on Long Island before driving back to Charlotte, encountering several obstacles along the way.

Paventi's wife received calls from their family and friends worried about Paventi while she was trying to figure out if he was okay. She couldn't reach him until he arrived at Bob's family home on Long Island.

Paventi said that he experienced anxiety after the attacks, despite not being particularly jumpy. He now reflects on the lives lost and the sacrifices made by first responders. He also thinks about how much security has changed since 9/11.

"It's sad to me that it takes an event like that for people to recognize the level of freedom that we enjoy in this country." — David Paventi

"Despite the passage of a few days, there were still no flights. Everything remained grounded, which was quite strange. There was a palpable sense of patriotism in the air. People were displaying flags from their homes that they typically wouldn't show, which was a poignant reminder of the freedoms we take for granted in this country. It's disheartening to see how some of these freedoms have been compromised in the aftermath of the event."

Over 3,000 people perished and numerous others sustained injuries, some of whom are still recovering from the health effects of the toxic chemicals and fumes they inhaled during and after the devastating attack.