On September 11, 2001, Port Authority Police Department Lt. David Lim was in the basement below the World Trade Center's South Tower with his K-9 partner Sirius when he felt the building violently tremble. Feeling duty-bound to assist potentially injured civilians, Lim took time to secure Sirius in his kennel and then went to investigate the disruption, telling his partner, "I'll be back for you."
After miraculously surviving the collapse of the North Tower, Lim's first instinct was to find Sirius, but he was rushed into an ambulance and brought to St. Vincent's Hospital for treatment of injuries he had sustained from the collapse. Unfortunately, Sirius was not as lucky as Lim. His remains, recovered in the winter of 2002 in the wreckage of the South Tower, were ceremoniously removed from Ground Zero with a full honor guard, in a manner befitting a hard-working member of the PAPD.
Recently, Lim donated items in memory of Sirius to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, including a training leash and one of Sirius' badges. Additionally, he gifted the soiled boots and gun belt that he had worn on September 11, 2001 as vestiges of his remarkable survivor story. To view more items in the museum's collection click here.
Items donated to the museum by Lim, including a training leash and one of Sirius' badges.
Soiled boots worn by Lim on 9/11, recently gifted to the museum by Lim.