Lieutenant helps dedicate plaque to K-9 that lost life in 9/11 attacks
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- A special honor was presented Thursday for K-9s who helped during the recovery efforts following the attacks on September 11th.
A plaque was dedicated to Port Authority Police K-9 Sirius, a 4-year-old Labrador retriever, and the other dogs that served at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.
When the first plane hit, Lieutenant David Lim secured Sirius in his kennel in the south tower to help people in the north tower, and that's where Lim almost died.
"Officer Lim and 15 other people were trapped in the stairwell B of the north tower," said Elizabeth Hillman, President of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. "Eventually all 16 they were able to climb out of the debris, but when Officer Lim emerged, there was no longer a south tower."
It took Lim and the others six hours to get out from under the debris of the north tower.
He was never able to rescue his canine partner.
Sirius' remains were recovered in the winter of 2002 and he was given a full honor guard.
While Sirius has been memorialized before, Lim always wanted more for the dog that gave his life.
"He was a part of the family which made it that much harder on the events of 9/11," Lim said.
Lieutenant Lim his family attended Thursday's ceremony to celebrate his life and contribution. Other officers from the Port Authority Police Department were also in attendance.
"It's not so much about that he died, it's about what he did when he was alive, keeping the people of the World Trade Center safe," Lim said.
Sirius is named for the brightest star in the sky. Now his legacy will shine bright as well.
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