Welles Crowther Age, Death, Family, Biography

Quick Info→

Age: 24 Years

Death Date: 11/09/2001

Death Cause: Collapse Of 2 World Trade Center During The September 11 Attacks

Bio/Wiki
Full Name	Welles Remy Crowther
Earned Name	The Man in the Red Bandana
Profession	Equities Trader
Known for	Heroically rescuing the people inside the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks in America
Physical Stats
Eye Colour	Blue
Hair Colour	Light Golden Blonde
Career
Honour	2026: The Presidential Medal of Freedom (posthumously)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	17 May 1977 (Tuesday)
Birthplace	Nyack, New York, U.S.
Date of Death	11 September 2001
Place of Death	South Tower, World Trade Center, New York City, U.S.
Age (at the time of death)	24 Years
Death Cause	Collapse of 2 World Trade Center as part of the September 11 attacks
Zodiac sign	Taurus
Nationality	American
Hometown	New York, U.S.
School	Nyack High School, New York (1995)
College/University	Boston College, Massachusetts
Educational Qualification	Graduation in Economics (Honours) (1999)
Religion	Christianity
Food Habit	Non-vegetarian
Relationships & More
Marital Status (at the time of death)	Unmarried
Family
Parents	Father- Jefferson Crowther Mother- Allison Crowther
Siblings	Sister(s)- 2 • Honor Fagan • Paige Crowther
Other Relatives	Uncle- John M. Crowther (writer) Grandfather- Bosley Crowther (a film critic of The New York Times)

Some Lesser Known Facts About Welles Crowther

His father used to keep a small comb wrapped in a red bandana in his right pocket of his pants while going to the church.

As a child, Welles Crowther noticed this habit of his father daily.

His father gifted him a red bandana when he was six years old.

Welles Crowther then started wearing this bandana under all of his sports uniforms as a lucky charm during his high school studies.
Welles Crowther, in a family photo, at age 8. His father gave him two handkerchiefs, a white pocket square and a utilitarian red one, to blow his nose.

When he was sixteen years old, he joined the Empire Hook and Ladder Company as a volunteer firefighter along with his father.

During his college days at the Boston College, Welles Crowther represented the college team in Lacrosse.
An old picture of Welles Crowther during a Lacrosse match at Boston College

After completing his formal education, he shifted from Nyack to the New York City, where he started working as an equity trader at Sandler O’Neill and Partners.

His office was located at the 104th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

Reportedly, Welles Crowther wished to join FDNY, the FBI, or the CIA.

On 11 September 2001, at 9:03 a.m., the United Airlines Flight 175 hit between the 77th and 85th floors of the South Tower, one of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, U.S.

After nine minutes of the crash, at 9:12 a.m., Welles Crowther called his mother from his office and left a message. He said,

Mom, this is Welles. I wanted you to know that I’m okay.”

He then went to the 78th floor of the tower, where he found a group of people survived in the attack.

One of the survivors was Ling Young, who worked on the 86th floor in Department of Taxation and Finance of New York.

She was sitting at the bank of the elevators with the other 16 survivors, who were waiting for evacuation after the plane hit the tower.

Welles Crowther was carrying the young wounded woman on his back. He told these survivors to go down from a working stairway. They all went 17 floors down. He dropped off the wounded woman there and went back upstairs to help others too.
Ling Young, during a media interview, one of the survivors helped by Welles Crowther during the September 11 attacks

After that, when he reached the 78th floor, he covered his mouth and nose with a red bandana to protect himself from smoke and dust.

Welles Crowther then found another group, which was seeking help. This group had a woman named Judy Wein, who worked for AON Corporation on the 103rd floor of the tower. One of her arms was broken, her ribs were cracked, and her lung was damaged.

Judy Wein once stated in a media talk that Crowther helped in extinguishing fire, provided first aid, and appealed the group,

Everyone who can stand, stand now. If you can help others, do so.”

After that, he took this group to the ground floor and again went upstairs to help other survivors.

Welles Crowther then joined the FDNY members in the rescue operation. After that, the South Tower collapsed at 9:59 a.m.

After his death, his family members stated in a media talk that a complete application for New York City firefighter was found in his room.

According to the survivor accounts reports, Welles Crowther saved more than 18 survivors during the attacks.

In March 2002, his body was found along with other firefighters and emergency workers in a lobby of the South Tower.

The office of the New York medical examiner claimed in the media that his body was not damaged and burnt. They predicted that he was helping the survivors as a civilian when the building collapsed.
A picture of burning Twin Towers

His family was neither in touch with him nor aware of his actions after his first message to his mother until his death.

In May 2002, his family came to know about his actions when his mother, Allison Crowther, read the original story of Judy Wein (the wounded woman helped by Welles Crowther) in The New York Times.

Judy Wein stated in the article that a man with red bandana saved her during the attacks.

After that, Allison Crowther met other people who were saved by her son, Welles Crowther. Judy Wein and Ling Young identified him through his photographs.

After his death, a foundation based in Michigan and his parents started a program titled the Red Bandana Project, which helped many students, sports teams, and young people in character building.

His family then founded the Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust, to collect funds for charity work.

The Welles Remy Crowther Red Bandana Run, a road race, is organised at Boston College every year in October in his honour.

In 2006, Nicholas Scoppetta, a former New York City Fire Commissioner, named Welles Crowther as an honorary New York City firefighter.

In the same year, Tyler Jewell, one of Welles Crowther’s teammates in lacrosse at Boston College, competed in the Winter Olympics as a part of the snowboarding team of the United States. During this match, he wore a red bandana to honor Crowther.
Tyler Jewell while wearing a red bandana in honor of his Boston College lacrosse teammate, Welles Crowther

On 10 September 2011, a football match was held between UCF-Boston College in Orlando, Florida, where both schools honored Crowther.

During the match, the players of the Boston College pasted red bandana stickers on their helmets. In the third quarter of the match, Crowther’s sisters, Honor Fagan and Paige Crowther, were introduced to the audience.

On 13 September 2014, during a match between Boston College and the University of Southern California (USC), the uniforms of the players included a red bandana printed on the helmet stripe, gloves, and cleats to honor Welles Crowther.
Boston College’s football team wears red bandana uniforms once a year

Since 2014, Boston College has continued this tradition. They choose one home football game every year as the “Red Bandana Game,” where players wear red bandana-themed uniforms in his memory.

In 2013, Welles Crowther’s sister, Honor Crowther Fagan, released a children’s book called The Man in the Red Bandana. The book tells about the actions of Welles Crowther during the September 11 attacks.

The book was illustrated by his uncle, John M. Crowther.

At the National September 11 Memorial, Welles Crowther is remembered at the South Pool on Panel S-50.
Crowther’s name is located on Panel S-50 of the National September 11 Memorial’s South Pool

On 15 May 2014, during the dedication ceremony of the 9/11 Museum, the then President of America Barack Obama spoke about Crowther’s bravery.

Barack Obama stated in his speech,

Many people did not know Crowther’s name or where he came from, but they remembered being saved by “the man in the red bandana.”

Obama described how Crowther fought with the fire flames, helped and cared the injured people, guided the survivors to go down the stairs for safety, and carried a wounded woman down 17 flights of stairs on his shoulders.

Barack Obama added that he brought many people to the safe place and kept going back into the building to rescue more people until the tower collapsed.
Barack Obama while meeting Welles Crowther’s mother

One of Crowther’s red bandanas is displayed in at the 9/11 Museum.
Welles Crowther’s red bandanas is displayed in at the 9/11 Museum

In 2017, the story of his bravery was featured in a documentary titled “Man in Red Bandana.” The story was narrated by Gwyneth Paltrow.
The poster of the documentary film Man in Red Bandana

The documentary ‘Man in Red Bandana’ premiered on Wednesday night in Suffern, N.Y., at the Lafayette Theater

After that, the Premier Lacrosse League started an award named Welles Crowther Humanitarian Award to honor players who plays and works positively for their communities.

In 2021 and 2022, Lyle Thompson won this award. In 2023, this award was granted to Eric Law, and in 2024 and 2025, this award was presented to Romar Dennis.

In 2024, Rockland County introduced a cyber detection dog named “Remy” in Welles’ honor. Remy is a black Labrador who is trained to find electronic devices used in criminal activities. This dog was one of only about 100 “cyber dogs” in the United States.
A picture of the cyber detection dog named ‘Remy’ with red bandana in his neck in Welles’ honor

The caretaker of the dog is Detective Tim Hayes. The dog wears a red bandana to honor Crowther.

In 2024, a park named Aspire Park, which was opened in Clinton, installed a memorial statue of Welles Crowther.
A memorial statue of Welles Crowther at Aspire Park in Clinton

In October 2025, Dropkick Murphys released a song titled “A Hero Among Many” about Welles Crowther in his music album “For the People.” On 7 November 2025, the song was released as a music video.
Welles Crowther’s picture in a still from the song ‘A Hero Among Many’

The video featured the pictures and videos of Crowther provided by his mother, Alison Crowther. In the pictures, he was seen with his friends Tim Epstein, Amy Dewhurst, and Pat McCavanagh.

On 22 May 2026, American President Donald Trump announced the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Welles Crowther posthumously.
American President Donald Trump while meeting Welles’ mother and announcing the Presidential Medal of Freedom to him after his death

He liked Boy Scouting and playing Lacrosse and Ice Skating in his free time. He was an active member of Boy Scout Troop 2 in Nyack, Rockland County, New York.