New Orleans terror attack survivor shares his story after late best friend killed in incident
The Brief
Lansdale native, Ryan Quigley, was one of the victims injured in the deadly New Orleans terror attack.
Among those killed was Princeton University graduate Tiger Bech, 28, Quigley's best friend.
Months after the attack, Quigley visited his alma mater, Lansdale Catholic High School, to share his and Bech's stories.
LANSDALE, Pa. - 26-year-old Lansdale native Ryan Quigley visited his alma mater, Lansdale Catholic High School Tuesday.
This comes just months after he was seriously injured in the New Orleans terror attack and lost his best friend.
The backstory
Quigley was visiting his New York City roommate, Princeton football teammate, and fellow finance brother, 27-year-old Tiger Bech, in Louisiana for the holiday.
The two went duck hunting, then to New Orleans before they were supposed to head home together.
Before they could, a man drove a pick-up truck through a crowd on Bourbon Street, striking them both, killing Bech, and 13 others.
Quigley tore every muscle in his back, his ACL, meniscus, hip extender, and broke his fibula and nose. He also had two root canals, face lacerations across his face, and road rash all over his body.
What they're saying
"It's been a mental and physical battle everyday, but the love and support I've received has been amazing," said Quigley.
"Never did I think I'd know anyone in a terrorist attack," Quigley continued. "Let alone be in one…I'm balancing being happy that I'm alive and being grateful everyday but also being super depressed that I lost my best friend."
While continuing to physically heal, he now wants to also dedicate his life to telling Bech's story.
He began that journey speaking to a gymnasium full of students at the same school he was a star football player at.
"I want to have an impact on other peoples' lives and by sharing my story and sharing Tiger's story I want to help others view life how I do because it was like a light switch went off in my head when it happened," said Quigley.
In February, Quigley did something he never expected. He returned to New Orleans only a month after the attack.
Recently retired player Brandon Graham invited the Eagles player to the Superb Bowl. Quigley also celebrated with the team at the parade. Both experiences he knows Tyler never would have let him pass up.
"If I didn't go the biggest thing for me was this guy who drove this truck and killed my best friend and 13 others and affected my life for the rest of my life was gonna win," said Quigley.
What's next
Quigley is now moving back to New York City to continue his career in finance and continue to encourage others "not to sweat the small stuff" and enjoy each moment.
The Source
The information in this story is from Ryan Quigley.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Four-vehicle crash closes lanes of Route 460
PRINCETON – Route 460's eastbound traffic was blocked Thursday after a four-vehicle crash. Troopers with the West Virginia State Police Princeton Detachment and other first responders were dispatched after a four-vehicle crash was reported near East Martin Drive off Route 460, according to Cpl. D.R. Kincaid with the State Police. The crash occurred around 2:45 p.m., Kincaid said. Around four injured people were transported to a WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital. Their conditions were not available at press time Thursday. Cpl. J.L. Morris was the investigating officer, while Sgt. J.R. Tupper also worked at the scene. Morris was unavailable Thursday for additional comment. The crash's cause was under investigation.
Axios
02-06-2025
- Axios
How Boston remembers Anthony Burns, a man forcefully returned to slavery
On this day 171 years ago, federal officials escorted a man in chains downtown to remove him from Massachusetts. Anthony Burns, then age 20, had escaped bondage in Virginia only to be forcefully returned. Why it matters: Burns' arrest became a flashpoint for Boston at a time when the nation was starkly divided, and historical reenactments and discussions are keeping his legacy alive nearly two centuries later. Between the lines: The nation was starkly divided over slavery. Depending on whom you asked, Burns was either kidnapped by a Virginia slave owner with the help of federal officials or returned to his rightful owner, per National Park Service archives. Anti-slavery activists debated whether the Fugitive Slave Act or a "higher law" should take precedence in a state that had abolished slavery decades earlier, says Shawn Quigley, lead ranger for the National Parks of Boston. State of play: National Park Service rangers in Boston revive that debate in their town meeting programming, including a recent reenactment of a May 26, 1854, meeting anti-slavery activists held in Faneuil Hall. Rangers pass out cards and ask the audience to deliver various arguments, Quigley says. The latest event was at the Old South Meeting House, with support from Revolutionary Space, but the Burns events will resume weekly once a restoration project at Faneuil Hall wraps up later this month. What they're saying: "The history of Faneuil Hall in Boston is not just the American Revolution, and it's a continuation of the American Revolution," Quigley tells Axios. Flashback: While activists debated in Faneuil Hall, they got word that a group of radical abolitionists tried to break down the courthouse entrance to rescue Burns. The abolitionists failed, and a federal marshal was fatally shot. Burns lost his case in court, but the day he was removed from Boston surrounded by federal troops, more than 50,000 people in Boston protested — equivalent to nearly half of the city's population at the time, Quigley says. A far smaller coalition led by the Twelfth Baptist Church in Boston tracked down Burns and paid for his freedom in 1855. Burns returned to Boston briefly before studying at Oberlin College in Ohio and becoming a pastor in Canada. Today, the nation is again divided over its collective identity. Now, instead referring to slave catchers, activists are calling immigration agents " kidnappers," like in the arrest of Tufts international student Rümeysa Öztürk, while supporters hail the detention of pro-Palestinian protesters and call them terrorists. Americans nationwide, including in Massachusetts, can't agree on immigration policies, LGBTQ+ issues, or diversity, equity and inclusion efforts — all at a time when the federal government is embattled over federally funded research, its workforce and national parks resources. National Parks of Boston workers, including Quigley, wouldn't discuss the current political climate, citing restrictions under the Hatch Act. What Quigley did say is that he wants people to consider the programming like the Burns discussions as an example of how the nation's revolutionary spirit has persisted after all these years.
New York Post
24-05-2025
- New York Post
Israeli Princeton doctoral student kidnapped in Iraq in 2023 could be freed in a week: reports
The release of Princeton University graduate student Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli-Russian citizen being held hostage in Iraq, is close to being finalized, according to Arabic media reports. Three sources, including an Iraqi government official, told Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat negotiations are in the final stages. And Tsurkov, 38, could be freed in a week to 10 days, according to Iraqi TV channel Al Rabiaa. Tsurkov was kidnapped in Baghdad in March 2023 while conducting research for her PhD dissertation — field work that had been approved and funded by the university. Advertisement Tsurkov had just left a café in a middle-class Baghdad neighborhood when she was kidnapped by members of a paramilitary group. AP 'The negotiations were long and very exhausting, but they ended with a deal that included the payment of a ransom,' one source said. 'The deal is finalized, all details have been agreed upon and only Tsurkov's release is pending.' But a senior US official refuted the reports of advanced negotiations, telling Axios that there's no imminent deal on the table. Advertisement 'We hope the reports are true, but right now we don't have any details,' said sister Emma Tsurkov, who lives in San Francisco. 'We await official updates.' Tsurkov's release hinges on the exchange of Iranian Mohammad Reza Nouri, an Iranian prisoner detained for the killing of an American aid worker in Baghdad, and six others accused of 'attacks against American interests,' according to reports. She was born in the Soviet Union and moved to Israel when she was 4 years old. Tsurkov has lived and studied in the US since 2017. She's been doing doctoral work in political science at Princeton since 2019, focusing on sectarianism in the Middle East and its impact on Iraqi women. The Princeton doctoral student has been held captive since March 2023. NurPhoto via Getty Images Advertisement The student researcher had used her Russian passport to enter Iraq. She had just left a cafe in a middle-class Baghdad neighborhood when she was kidnapped by members of a paramilitary group. She was seen alive in a propaganda video shortly after the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, warning that Israeli hostages will be killed if the country continues its 'stupidly run' war, but has been out of the public eye since.
