Daniel Stewart Memorial

Daniel Stewart

Remembering an Angel :
9/11 Hero Daniel Stewart

by Kevin Caruso

Daniel Stewart was an outstanding, dedicated, and courageous New York Fire Department Medical Technician. He took his work very seriously and always wanted to help as many people as possible.

And Daniel would not hesitate to risk his life if someone needed help in a dangerous situation.

And one of those dangerous situations occurred in 1999 when Daniel heard someone screaming for help from inside a burning building. Daniel, and fellow EMT, David Karic, immediately ran into the building -- without a mask or any other protection -- to try to rescue the victims. The thick smoke, intense heat, and crumbling structure made for a very dangerous rescue indeed.

But Daniel and his partner were able to carry two victims out of the building, saving their lives.

And when the September 11th tragedy hit, Daniel immediately got to work again. He spent 12 consecutive days searching for bodies at Ground Zero.

But seeing numerous people who lost their lives in the tragedy took a heavy toll on him. "He was psychologically distraught after seeing the devastation and the lives lost," said friend and fellow paramedic Octavio Collado.

Daniel suffered from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder because of his work at Ground Zero.

On June 27, 2002, nine months after working at Ground Zero, Daniel hanged himself.

He was 27.

You will always be a hero Daniel.

And now you are an angel.

We miss you.

And we will never forget you.