{"id":446396,"date":"2024-09-11T02:09:57","date_gmt":"2024-09-11T09:09:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=446396"},"modified":"2024-09-11T05:51:45","modified_gmt":"2024-09-11T12:51:45","slug":"remembering-andy-ogrady-former-ucla-swimmer-who-died-in-the-terrorist-attacks-of-9-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/remembering-andy-ogrady-former-ucla-swimmer-who-died-in-the-terrorist-attacks-of-9-11\/","title":{"rendered":"Remembering Andy O’Grady – Former UCLA Swimmer Who Died in the Terrorist Attacks of 9\/11"},"content":{"rendered":"

Remembering Andy O’Grady – Former UCLA Swimmer That Died in the World Trade Center on 9\/11<\/em><\/p>\n

September 11, 2024 marks the 23rd anniversary of the deadly terrorist attacks that occurred in 2001, where nearly 3,000 people died after two planes hit the World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York City. One of the lives lost on that horrific day was former UCLA swimmer Andy O’Grady<\/strong>, whose story was commemorated in a\u00a0Los Angeles Times<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>story from late September 2001 written by\u00a0Helene Elliott<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Andy O’Grady was a native of Harrington Park, New Jersey and swam four years at UCLA for legendary coach Ron ‘Stix’ Ballatore<\/strong><\/a> from 1988-1991, making the NCAA meet three times as a freshman, sophomore and senior. He was a co-captain for the Bruins in 1991 and stayed on an extra year as a grad assistant.<\/p>\n

About six years after finishing his career at UCLA, O’Grady met\u00a0Rachel Uchitel\u00a0<\/strong>on a blind date and a romance ensued. On August 5, 2001 the couple became engaged, with a wedding date set for May 4, 2002.<\/p>\n

On that horrific Tuesday morning 23 years ago, Andy O’Grady was a managing director at the investment banking firm Sandler O\u2019Neill & Partners, working on the 104th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Uchitel was an editor in charge of future projects for Bloomberg News, a television news service.<\/p>\n

When the North Tower of the World Trade Center was hit, Uchitel called O\u2019Grady and talked to him briefly.\u00a0He sounded stressed, she said, but when she asked if anyone was being evacuated from the building, he told her no. When they spoke again, she said he sounded increasingly stressed and told her, \u2018Rachel, it\u2019s really chaotic here. You don\u2019t understand. I just saw somebody jump out the window.'”<\/p>\n

Seventeen minutes later, when seemingly the entire world watched the second plane hit the south tower, she called O’Grady again. No answer.\u00a0She searched for days, going to each hospital in the city in hopes she would get some answers whether he was still alive. His body hadn’t been recovered at the site.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just awful,\u201d said Andy O’Grady’s best friend Rich<\/strong> Tuohey<\/strong>, who helped arrange the memorial service. \u201cAndy was an incredible guy who touched the lives of everybody he met in a special way. His loss will be felt on both coasts, by everyone who knew him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hundreds of O’Grady’s friends and former teammates were on hand at his memorial, including former coach Ballatore, who passed away in 2012.<\/p>\n

Each and every year, Andy O’Grady is remembered by the swimming community on September 11.<\/p>\n

To read the full story on Andy O’Grady, click here.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

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Thinking of you, Andy O'Grady… #neverforget<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/KrRcWJylb6<\/a><\/p>\n

— Florida Swim Network (@FlaSwimNetwork) September 11, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n