Annabel Quintero kept her September 11th survival story private for twenty years before publishing a book in 2021 that detailed her harrowing escape from the 46th floor of the World Trade Center’s North Tower.
The Seattle-area native attended the University of Washington before relocating to New York City in her early twenties to pursue career opportunities. On September 11, 2001, she was working alone at a boutique hedge fund office in One World Trade Center when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the building fifty floors above her position.
The initial impact left Quintero struggling to comprehend the unfolding crisis. “All of a sudden, I feel something, like, fall on my building,” she recalled. “And then an earthquake began.”
The building’s violent trembling filled her with terror as she realized the immediate danger. “I was so afraid because of the way the building was shaking,” Quintero said. “And then I felt this coldness. I was like, oh no, I got to go. I got to get out of the building.”
Her descent through the unstable tower required navigating treacherous conditions as the structure swayed unpredictably. “I ran and the building moved me around like a doll in a fun house,” she remembered. “The floor moved so much, and my knees buckled.”
Quintero developed a rhythmic escape technique that became the foundation for her book’s title. “I just kept step, step, jumping all the way to about the 33rd floor, and then I finally found people there,” she said.
After reaching ground level and exiting the tower, she witnessed the full scope of the terrorist attacks. “I crossed the street, and then I remember turning around and looking up, and then seeing the fire on both sides of the building that I just escaped from. I just couldn’t believe that,” she said.
The coordinated attacks ultimately claimed nearly 3,000 lives when both towers collapsed. The trauma profoundly affected Quintero’s subsequent years, prompting her return to Seattle for extended recovery.
“I returned to Seattle to heal more, because although I had undergone mental therapy and all that, it wasn’t enough,” she explained.
For two decades, Quintero maintained silence about her experience outside immediate family and close friends. “I had never told anyone outside of my family, close friends, that I survived September 11,” she revealed.
Her healing process culminated with writing “Step Step Jump,” named after her life-saving descent method. “What drove me to share my story was healing for myself, but also to give people permission to share their traumatic stories too because I knew that as we share our story, part of us heals,” she explained.
Carol Hunt, Quintero’s sister, recalled the family’s relief upon learning of her survival amid the chaotic news coverage showing people jumping from the towers.
Twenty-four years later, Quintero reflects on her experience with gratitude while acknowledging the broader impact of that day. “Everyone has a September 11 story,” she said. “I feel very grateful to be alive.”
