U.S. maritime officials have honored the merchant mariners who helped evacuate hundreds of thousands of people from Lower Manhattan following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, as the United States marked the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

When bridges, tunnels and other transportation routes were disrupted, the U.S. Coast Guard called for available vessels in New York Harbor to assist. Ferries, tugboats, commercial vessels and private craft responded, carrying people away from Manhattan while some vessels transported emergency personnel toward the disaster area.

The U.S. Coast Guard records that more than 500,000 people were safely evacuated by water in less than eight hours, describing the operation as the largest maritime evacuation in recorded history. Retired Rear Adm. Mike Day, who was a Coast Guard lieutenant at the time, recalled issuing a call for mariners to assist as people gathered along the waterfront seeking a way out.

Marking the anniversary, U.S. Maritime Administrator Stephen Carmel paid tribute to the merchant mariners who answered the call despite the uncertainty surrounding the attacks. He said their service remains part of the maritime community\'s legacy, while the Coast Guard has continued to recognize the boatlift as an example of cooperation between government personnel, commercial mariners and civilian vessel operators during a national emergency.