>> LIVE FROM DOWNTOWN DETROIT, GO TO WDIV AND CLICK ON DETROIT.
GO TO WDIV AND CLICK ON DETROIT.
LOCAL 4 NEWS AT 5:30 STARTS NOW.
>> SEPTEMBER 11TH WAS HIS SECOND
DAY ON THE JOB AT THE WORLD
TRADE CENTER, SURVIVING THAT DAY CHANGED NOT JUST HIS FUTURE, BUT
CHANGED NOT JUST HIS FUTURE, BUT
ALSO HIS BROTHER’S.
FOR MANY THERE WAS SO MUCH LOSS
THAT DAY.
>> Karen: THERE DEFINITELY WAS, FOR THE SALIA FAMILY ESCAPING
FOR THE SALIA FAMILY ESCAPING
FROM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER GAVE
A NEW CHANCE AT LIFE FOR
BROTHERS.
SANDRA ALI HAS THEIR STORY.
>> ALMOST EVERYONE IN SOME WAY
IS IMPACTED BY THE TRAGEDY OF 9/11.
FOR DAVID SALA AND HIS BROTHER
ROBERT, IT CHANGED THE COURSE OF
THEIR LIVES.
>> THEY ARE GRANDSONS OF LEBANESE IMMIGRANTS.
LEBANESE IMMIGRANTS.
>> THERE’S A LOT OF CHAOS ON THE
GROUND.
>> ONE OF THE DARKEST DAYS IN
HISTORY TRANSFORMED DAVID AND HIS BROTHER.
HIS BROTHER.
>> SEEING THE SECOND JET CRASH
INTO THE TOWER.
>> FOR DAVID, THE SECOND DAY OF TRAINING FOR A NEW JOB.
TRAINING FOR A NEW JOB.
>> SIT THERE ADMIRING
EVERYTHING.
>> HE WAS IN THE SOUTH TOWER
ADMIRING THE STATUE OF LIBERTY.
>> I SAW THE FIRE BALL AND HEARD A THUMP AND DEBRIS AROUND.
A THUMP AND DEBRIS AROUND.
>> A LOT OF CONFUSION, AND
EVERYONE WAS URGED TO STAY CALM
AND IN THEIR OFFICES, BUT DAVID
SAID HIS INSTINCT TOLD HIM TO RUN.
>> AND IF YOU’VE SEEN A MOVIE
WITH A BACK DRAFT AND A FLAME
AND FIRING ACROSS.
THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS LIKE.
HE GRABBED HIS THINGS AND HEADED
FOR A STAIRWELL.
DAVID SAYS IT FELT LIKE
EVERYTHING WAS IN SLOW MOTION
THEY WERE REROUTING US BECAUSE
THEY DIDN’T WANT DEBRIS OR
BODIES FALLING ON US.
>> YOU WENT DOWN 61 FLIGHTS.
CORRECT.
>> AND THEN WHAT?
>> RAN LIKE "FOREST GUMP."
>> HE FINALLY REACHED THE 24TH
FLOOR WHEN HE FELT THE UNITED AIRLINES PLANE HIT THE TOWER
AIRLINES PLANE HIT THE TOWER
ABOVE HIM.
>> THERE IS WITH AN A SENSE OF
URGENCY, BUT IT WAS ORDERLY.
IT WAS A LOT OF FEAR, AND I
THINK THE FEAR WAS MORE-- HAD MORE TO DO WITH THE UNKNOWN,
HAD MORE TO DO WITH THE UNKNOWN,
WHAT WAS GOING ON.
HE REMEMBERS SEEING FIREFIGHTERS
RUN PAST HIM IN THE OTHER
DIRECTION AS HE RACED TO GET
OUTSIDE. >> AND WHEN THE PLANE WENT
>> AND WHEN THE PLANE WENT
THROUGH OUR TOWERS, THAT WAS
WHEN EVERYBODY STARTED--
I MEAN, IT WAS, THAT’S WHEN THE PANIC BEGAN.
PANIC BEGAN.
BECAUSE IT TOSSED US AROUND,
SHAKING, THE BUILDING STARTED
SWAYING. >> HE RAN FOR MANY BLOCKS BEFORE
>> HE RAN FOR MANY BLOCKS BEFORE
CALLING HIS FAMILY AND MINUTES
LATER HE WATCHED THE SOUTH TOWER
COLLAPSE.
>> I WAS SEVERAL BLOCKS AWAY AND KIND OF ON A BENCH JUST
KIND OF ON A BENCH JUST
WATCHING, AND WHEN IT CAME DOWN,
I GOT UP AND WALKED BACK TO MY
ROOM.
>> HIS FAMILY, LIKE SO MANY
OTHERS ON THAT DAY PANICKED AND
FEARED THE WORST. >> LISTENING TO MY MOM SCREAMING
>> LISTENING TO MY MOM SCREAMING
AND CRYING OVER YOUR VOICE, YOU
KNOW, IF YOU EVER WANT TO KNOW
WHAT YOUR MOM SOUNDS LIKE IF SHE
THINKS YOU’RE DEAD, THAT WAS
HORRIFIC.
IT WAS A VERY HORRIFYING SOUND
TO ME.
>> BECAUSE YOUR FAMILY BACK HERE
THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD?
>> THEY HAD NO CLUE WHAT WAS
GOING ON. >> DAVID DROVE HOME TO HIS
>> DAVID DROVE HOME TO HIS
FAMILY IN DEARBORN THE NEXT DAY.
>> HAVE A GREAT DAY TODAY, ONE
LAST GREAT DAY.
>> ROBERT TOLD HIS FAMILY DAVID’S TERRIFYING ORDEAL WAS
DAVID’S TERRIFYING ORDEAL WAS
THE DAY THAT TRANSFORMED HIM,
INSPIRING HIM TO PURSUE HIS
DREAMS.
AFTER SEPTEMBER 11TH ROBERT LEFT THE BANKING JOB HE HAD TAKEN AND
THE BANKING JOB HE HAD TAKEN AND
DECIDED TO PURSUE HIS PASSION
FOR FOOTBALL.
THEY BOTH PLAYED FOOTBALL
GROWING UP LIKE THEIR DAD SAM.
AFTER SEVERAL STOPS
CRISSCROSSING THE COUNTRY, ROBERT IS NOW THE FIRST MUSLIM
ROBERT IS NOW THE FIRST MUSLIM
HEAD COACH IN NFL HISTORY
WORKING FOR THE NEW YORK JETS.
NOW TWO DECADES LATER DAVID SAYS
ON SOME DAYS IT’S AS IF TIME STANDS STILL.
STANDS STILL.
SOME MEMORIES ARE VIVID AND
OTHERS CONTINUE TO HAUNT HIM.
THERE ARE STILL MEMORIES THAT
COME UP, WHETHER IT’S THE
STAIRWELL, WHETHER IT WOULD BE LOOKING AT SOMEBODY EYE TO EYE.
LOOKING AT SOMEBODY EYE TO EYE.
IT’S TAUGHT ME HOW TO REFLECT,
IT’S MORE MEANINGFUL, MY
REFLECTION, I FEEL LIKE.
SO IT’S -- THERE’S CERTAIN
THINGS THAT YOU COME AWAY WITH THAT I NEVER HAD.
THAT I NEVER HAD.
>> DAVID SAYS HE PLANS TO TAKE
THE DAY OFF ON 9/11, LIKE HE