9/11 survivor on bin Laden's death

NORTH HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) - A Connecticut man who made it out of the World Trade Centers when they attacked on Sept, 11, 2001 is sharing his reaction to the death of Osama bin Laden with News 8.

The awful adventure of getting out of the twin towers and back to Connecticut alive isn't something Melvin Esdaile of North Haven thinks about, but on this day he is reflecting on the journey.

The memory that sticks with Esdaile as he was going down 25 smoke filled flights of stairs in tower one is that firefighters were passing him going up.

"Got down and looked up and saw the flames, if you said the building is going to collapse I would have said that is impossible," says Esdaile.

He still has the shoes he was wearing on 9/11, when he escaped from the tower and walked block after block to get to the train station.

"I was lucky to get out, how fortunate I was," says Esdaile.

He says the memories of that horrific day all came back to him upon hearing bin Laden had been killed.

"It's a good day, I mean he was an evil person and it's good that he is caught and killed," says Esdaile.

Esdaile credits his survival to getting out fast, leaving before being told to go.

Esdaile, who works in Wealth Management , says it's a story he shares with clients helping them prepare for anything. He also shows them his 9/11 shoes.

"Everyday is a blessing no matter how difficult things are, how difficult are life is at any given time, I believe everyday is a blessing and we should think of it that way," says Esdaile.

He plans to keep the shoes that hold so many memories, in his office.