His rescue and that of William Jimeno are later the subject of Oliver Stone's film World Trade Center in 2006, in which McLoughlin was portrayed by actor Nicolas Cage.

McLoughlin graduated from the State University of New York at Oswego, where he was a member of the Sigma Tau Chi fraternity.

Four months after their rescue, McLoughlin and Jimeno — who both have since retired — took part in a ceremony at Ground Zero to watch as the final column was removed.

On June 11, 2002, McLoughlin (with a walker) and Jimeno (with a limp) walked across a stage at Madison Square Garden to receive the Port Authority's Medal of Honor.

[3] The film World Trade Center (2006) tells the story of McLoughlin (played by Nicolas Cage) and William Jimeno (portrayed by Michael Peña).