Sergeant Peter Woods died as the result of cancer that he developed following his assignment to the search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site following the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.

Sergeant Woods had served with the New York City Police Department for 20 years and was assigned to the NYPD Special Operations Harbor Unit when he retired. Besides the 2001 terrorist attack, Sergeant Woods is credited with rescuing passengers from USAir Flight 5050 that skidded off the runway at LaGuardia Airport into Bowery Bay in 1989. In addition, he was one of the first responders to the first terrorist bombing at the World Trade Center in 1993.