Stanley Praimnath

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Stanley Praimnath is a survivor of the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001. Praimnath worked in the South Tower, the second to be attacked. He appears to be one of the few survivors who actually saw United Airlines Flight 175 approaching the South Tower seconds before the impact while inside the building. He was in the office into which the right wing of airplane smashed and he describes it being only 20 feet away from him on his website.

Praimnath started to evacuate from the South Tower when the North Tower was struck. He returned to his office when the building security told tenants it was safe to do so. Praimnath describes returning to his office, on the 81st floor, just in time to see the second airliner heading right towards his window. He describes a burning wing of the plane ending up "in my office door twenty feet from where I am huddled under my desk." He has stated that the last thing he said before the aircraft struck was, "Lord, I can't do this. You take over."

Praimnath was buried in debris, but when he heard Brian Clark and some of his colleagues descending the only stairwell that was free, he was able to attract Clark's attention.

Praimnath and Clark were two of only eighteen survivors from a floor above where the plane struck. Clark attributes his own survival to going to help Praimnath, as his group had been debating whether to ascend to the roof and wait for rescue by helicopter or try to descend through lower floors, which they were told were impassable. By the time Clark got Praimnath free the group was gone, having decided to try for the roof, leaving the two to continue downward instead.