The Qualified Captain Podcast Episode #8 - Captain Michael Ardolino

Immediately following the September 11th 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, Manhattan was completely shut down. There was only one way on and off that island: by water. To learn more about how people were evacuated from Manhattan that day, I sat down with Captain Michael Ardolino in Brooklyn, NY. Since the early 1930s, Captain Mike's family has been involved in the fishing and private yacht charter industry. When Mike's father, Captain Vincent Ardolino, the captain of the Amberjack V, saw the devastation on TV that morning, he told his wife, “I’m going to take the Amberjack up into the city and help … I have to do what I have to do … Even if I rescue one person, that’s one person less that will suffer or die.” Mike, Vincent, one other crew member Teddy started cruising towards Manhattan. They were there for 3 days evacuating, and assisting personnel both on and off the island. The United States Coast Guard coordinated a large convoy of merchant ships, tugboats, ferries, charter boats, and basically anything that could float to help evacuate the stranded and injured victims. Together, these mariners evacuated over half a million people trapped on lower Manhattan in under 9 hours. A rescue effort that would become the largest water evacuation in US history. There is an incredible YouTube video called “Boatlift” that we highly recommend watching. Click the link below to check it out. We would also like to give a big shout out to the VALOR veterans group at S&P Global. This group includes 9/11 responders, survivors, and family members. If anyone is interested in getting involved with us for upcoming programs this September and beyond, they can email [email protected] with the subject line "9/11 tribute."

Boatlift Video:    • BOATLIFT, An Untold Tale of 9/11 Resi...