Richard Drew on photographing the "Falling Man" of 9/11
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Published 2021-09-05
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All Comments (21)
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I get so angry when some ignorant people say those victims committed suicide by jumping. No, no they didn't. They had a choice to suffocate, burn or jump. Which is not even a choice someone should ever have to make. They were murdered just like all of the other victims that day
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I hope people realize that the falling man was a person, a person who wasn't destined to die that day but was forced to die that day, remember in the end that was a person, a living person
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I listened to a firefighter talk about the sound of the bodies hitting the floor all around him and how it was loud and so many of them it was like rain falling and you could tell he is still traumatised by it, so awful, I’m glad this man took this picture it’s harrowing but it’s important that people see horror and never forget history like this
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For anyone interested to know. That was Jonathan Briley who was an AV Technician who worked at Windows on the world. Anyone who knew Jon can identify him by his shoes, hair style, shirt and lanky body. He was a great fellow! I have this image in one of my buildings as we dedicated it in Jon’s memory.
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The reason this image is so impactful is because it shows the human element of the tradgedy. Watching buildings collapse is shocking, but it doesn't connect you to what the people went through inside the towers that day and the unbearable decisions they had to make. This photograph does that.
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What a sad choice those people had to make. It still breaks my heart. This journalist is very honest, and brilliant.
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When I look at this photo all I can think is that this human being did not leave his home even considering having to make a decision anything remotely close to what he had to make. Life is unpredictable but we truly have no idea just how unpredictable it can be. It brings tears to my eyes even now.
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I respect this guys principles. No matter how shocking and tragic a moment in history is, it NEEDS to documented.
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This guy has been at the most tragic and happiest events and has captured most of them. The “falling Man” is haunting and unsettling. Still saddens me to this day.
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Man, that guy that recognized his fiancé as one of the jumpers…just…OMG 😞💔
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6:46 imagine seeing a picture of your loved one, the person you are going to marry, falling to their death. It makes me tear up knowing this and so sad that, that person died in that horrible way. It must have been gut wrenching to the guy who saw his fiancé in a photo like this but slightly relieved in a small sense knowing she isn’t unaccounted for and still wondering what became of her that day. I hope he ended up with something to bury, even ever so small as a means of being able to move on with his life.
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It’s interesting how emotional Richard is when he speaks about his daughter, but how cold and detached he is when shooting his photos of death and destruction.
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No matter how many years have passed, I still cry when this terrible day arrives every year.
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I cannot image having to make a choice to either burn to death or fall to your death. The pain i feel for these people will never go away. Seeing it hits to the core of feeling your mortality and how it will never not be shocking and unimaginable anger how this could happen to these souls in America on our soil. I will always cry when i watch 9/11 footage. Every year i honor those lost and 20 years later watching it still feels like that day it happened. 2,977 should have never lost their lives that day.
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The "falling man" took control of his life at that time.
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This day cannot be forgotten. Its so heart wrenching to think of the pain, the terror, the helplessness people went through.
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Being there....was horrific. Walking from Manhattan to Queens across the bridge and people standing along the street passing out water to those of us who lived on long Island is the picture I try to remember. My husband covered in a tan grey dust when he finally made it home was a vision I remember. Resting my eyes on my newborn twins when I finally reached home is a picture id like to remember. This was the darkest day (month really) in my entire life.
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Honestly the amount of courage it must've took to just jump out,knowing full well no-ones down there to save you,and that you just won't make it. That is something that I could never physically/mentally achieve.
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I still become emotional hearing these stories. As an airline employee of 18 years at the time, it was/is the most surreal day of my life. This is an excellent interview. God rest the souls of all the unsuspecting people who died, survived, and saw that day.
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If you pay attention to the falling man, in one of his photos you can see his arms look burned. It’s heartbreaking 💔 to know many had to make that decision, I heard them have the impact when they fell on the fire fighters video of 9/11, the look in their eyes at eachother knowing what that sound was every time, and back to back. I’m glad the man who saw his fiancé in the photo has closure through it. May god rest their souls.
