asked him if he had mark. he said, yeah, i got him. we got to get off the roof now. we got to get off the roof. the roof is going to go. so i just kind of pulled his foot towards the ladder, and i went down. >> the three men, each one clinging to the next, make their way back to the rescue ladder and finally to safety. >> thank god i'm alive because i was scared to death. i was thinking about my children. i thought i was going to fall to the ground. i was just so happy to hit that building. i could hear the guys telling me to be calm, be calm, we're coming for you. i didn't want to move until i had the other fireman's hand. he said, come on, big boy, we're going to get you down. as i grasped his hand, i felt safer. i knew that he wouldn't have let go of me no matter what. >> if anything, the ordeal has strengthened their commitment to firefighting and to each other. >> i trust these guys with my life every day. i knew they were going do whatever it took to get me. if it took another one going down also, i knew they would do that. because we do that for each other.