Angel in the Rubble: True Story of Genelle Guzman, Explained

Directed by Manu Boyer, Lifetime’s ‘Angel in the Rubble: The Genelle Guzman Story’ is a gripping tale centered on the titular individual as the final survivor rescued from the rubble of the Twin Towers. The September 11, 2001, attacks on New York changed not only millions of lives but the entire country as we knew it, and Genelle’s experience is just one example of how it continues to have an impact. The film thus explores not only her fight for survival and her rescue after 27 long hours, but also her reflections on faith, life, relationships, her search for the ones who saved her, as well as the aftermath of it all.

Angel in the Rubble: The Genelle Guzman Story is an Adaptation of the Survivor’s Memoir

Although Lifetime’s ‘Angel in the Rubble: The Genelle Guzman Story’ is a biographical film written by Robert Eisele, its source material is the acclaimed 2011 eponymous memoir penned by Genelle herself. The adaptation is executive-produced by broadcaster Robin Roberts and actress Sherri Shepherd, the latter of whom also takes on the survivor’s portrayal and arguably gives one of her best performances. Sherri admittedly had the opportunity to meet with her character’s real-life counterpart before the project began, so she took full advantage to learn more about her experiences and what had transpired firsthand.

“Just hearing about Genelle’s story of being buried alive for 27 hours, you think what did you – – what could you possibly have gone through,” Sherri said in an interview with GMA in September 2026. Therefore, when she met the survivor, she candidly asked her what it was like that fateful day and how she felt when she realized her normal morning had taken a terrible turn. Genelle’s response about her shock, the conversations she had with God and with herself, along with the ponderings of her personal relationships, was powerfully poignant. The fact that she further opened up about the miraculous way she was rescued and her survivor’s guilt also enabled the actress to really immerse herself in the story and bring her past trauma to life.

Genelle Guzman Left Her North Tower Office to Escape Almost 45 Minutes After the First Attack

The morning of September 11, 2001, was perfectly ordinary for Trinidad native Genelle Guzman as she woke up in the Brooklyn apartment she shared with her caring, loving boyfriend, Roger McMillan. She then got ready for work, spoke to her then-12-year-old daughter on the phone since the tween resided with her dad in their homeland, and made her way to the World Trade Center in Manhattan. The 30-year-old happily served as an administrative employee for the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey on the 64th floor of the World Trade Center’s North Tower. So, she followed her routine, walked into the building just before 8:30 am, and then spent some time confirming their girls’ trip plans to Miami with a coworker-turned-friend.

Genelle still remembers that when the first plane struck the North Tower between the 93rd and 99th floors at 8:46 am, she heard a loud boom and felt everything shake as if there was an earthquake. She, like the rest of her co-workers, subsequently went to the big glass windows to see what was going on, but no one was sure if anything was amiss until they began receiving calls from loved ones. It was her Pennsylvania-based sister and a visiting cousin who informed her of what had occurred, shortly after which she experienced a similar thing again as the South Tower was struck at 9:06 am.

However, because the emergency alarms and lights had not gone off as they were informed in a training exercise, what followed in Genelle’s office was a discussion about whether they should leave. While one experienced structural engineer was certain the tower was still safe, the remaining 14 individuals wanted to flee as quickly as possible, so they started making their way down well after 9:30 am. Her co-worker Pasquale Buzzelli led the way, with her right behind him while holding hands with her office friend, Rosa Julia Gonzalez – the duo was counting each floor as they descended the stairs.

Genelle Guzman Was Essentially Buried Alive When the Building Collapsed Around Her

Genelle and her companions had reached the 13th floor when she couldn’t bear the pain in her feet anymore and decided to bend down to take off her heeled boots, aware of the rumblings around. According to her own account, the ensuing few moments were like a movie scene: the building suddenly began to crumble, Rosa let go of her hands to run back up, and she found herself slipping down. “Everything just went boom,” she candidly said in an interview with People. “Everything was crumbling and was just coming on top of me,” after which she felt and heard complete, utter silence.

“I couldn’t see,” Genelle once recounted to The National Geographic. Everything was just dark. And I remember, when it came to a complete stop, I — just trying to get up, but I couldn’t get up. I, you know, everything was just stopped, and it was like dead silence. It was so silent that you can hear a pin drop.” She still remembers how terrified she was because she couldn’t feel her legs or move one of her hands as it was trapped between her stomach and some debris. Yet, she did the best she could to feel around with her other hand in hopes of seeing if she could grab something solid or find an opening to help her free herself.

Genelle admittedly felt something strangely soft below her, only to later learn she had landed almost directly on top of a firefighter who had sadly passed away. She knew what she was touching wasn’t rubble, but she didn’t want to think about it too much, so she moved her hand away until she found an opening of sorts above her head. The 30-year-old couldn’t move her head to see it, yet she sensed the air was a little different and thus left her hand there, just in case someone saw and came to help. It was in the silent darkness where she couldn’t even feel her legs that she realized she was likely “going to die” that day.

Genelle Guzman Found Solace in Faith and a Stranger’s Hands

The realization of the possible worst-case scenario broke something in Genelle, driving her to think about her late mother, her daughter, her boyfriend, and the way she had lived her life freely. One of the things that stood out most to her in those moments was how her beautiful mother was a Christian, yet she had practically turned away from the faith because she didn’t want constraints. It was then that she felt a transformation from deep within, prompting her to start praying while avowing to follow the word of God and turn her life around for the better if she makes it out okay. That’s what kept her calm for a long time.

Genelle had no idea how long had passed, but she kept praying because she knew she wanted to live – she was desperate to see Roger again and be there for her daughter for a long, long time. “I just keep begging and praying, just asking God to show me a miracle,” she told People, and that’s when she suddenly heard a voice call out and someone rushing towards her amid the debris. From what she remembers, the male voice said, “I got you. My name is Paul,” before she felt his hand hold hers and heard him promise that he was not going to let go and that she would be fine.

Genelle again has no idea how long Paul had been there comforting her before they heard the distinctive sounds of walkie-talkies, rescue dogs, and first responders coming towards their direction. According to her account, Paul encouraged her to call out to them using her own voice, and then she heard several firefighters confidently tell her they were going to get her out as quickly as possible. They had to clear some heavy debris from on and around her, as well as be careful of her legs since they could see she was gravely injured, but they managed to rescue her without complications.

Genelle Guzman Was a Changed Woman After the Entire Ordeal

When Genelle was rescued from what became known as Ground Zero, she had no idea how significant the moment was – not only was she trapped there for over 27 hours, but she was also the last person found alive. She still remembers that her adrenaline was so high that she couldn’t understand why people were staring at her as she was rushed to the triage point or the local hospital. She genuinely thought she would be allowed to go home after the doctors gave her a cursory examination and a clean-up because she felt fine, so she was shocked when her loved ones broke down in tears upon seeing her.

However, the truth is that Genelle was covered in so much ash and debris that her skin color looked almost gray, plus one of her legs was so badly injured that the doctors contemplated amputation. They thankfully went the other route, and she underwent four surgeries over the next few weeks, following which she was told she might always have some pain or weakness owing to nerve damage. She also had to relearn to walk before she was discharged in late October/early November, by which point she’d grasped the extent of what had occurred and her internal transformation. She did have survivor’s guilt, and she continues to struggle with it, but she also knows she is lucky to be alive. The one thing that left her utterly perplexed, though, was that no one seemed to know Paul, which eventually led her to believe he was an angel sent to save her.

Genelle and Roger had gotten engaged while she was still in the hospital because she no longer wished to live with him as a common-law wife before their wedding. Moreover, they already knew they wanted to spend forever together, so they even tied the knot at City Hall on November 7 of the same year before having a proper marriage celebration in the summer of 2002. From what we can tell, they are still happily married, have continued to live by the word of God, and currently reside in Valley Stream, Long Island, as a blended family. After all, they have been proud parents of 4 children – her daughter from her previous union, his son from a past relationship, and their own two daughters. We should also mention that a few days after Genelle published her memoir ‘Angel in the Rubble’ in 2011, it came to light that Paul was Paul Somin. He is not an angel but a firefighter whom she has since met in person and thanked for his service.