The jumpers started at 8:46.
Networks had the tape. They hid Americans choosing the air over the fire.
Then they spent 25 years treating the word Islam like a crime. The footage was “too graphic.” The truth was forbidden.
This day is stamped in my heart forever...
Lower Manhattan resident Cindy Weil captured some of the cleanest footage in the September 11th archives. She probably had one of the first prosumer MiniDV or DV8 camcorders. Footage starts handheld with her describing what is happening in real time then it switches to a static locked shot with background audio of a television news broadcast.
Total Runtime: 1hr28m
Fire Chief Joseph Pfeifer, in the North Tower Lobby, is distressed by the large number of jumpers he has seen.
He attempts to make an address over the building’s public address system: “Please stop jumping. We are coming up to help you.”
But the lines are cut and his voice cannot be heard.
Kevin Cosgrove, a business executive trapped on the 105th floor of the South Tower with Doug Cherry and John Ostaru, is on the phone with 9-1-1 dispatchers, making concerning comments about there being too much smoke to breathe.
He expresses fear that he’ll die, but the dispatcher assures him that there are firefighters coming up to meet him.
You know how every few years you’ll see footage that you’ve never seen before on 9/11 and wonder how you’ve never seen it before
Well that’s exactly what this is for me
Chris York is on a family vacation and most of his footage is on the rooftop of Liberty Court a few blocks away from the World Trade Center
In it, you see clear footage of the twin towers about a week before the September 11th attacks. Beautiful day, manhattan looks great.
Then there’s a long delay in his camera roll. When it resumes (1 minute mark) the north tower is struck. You can see the earliest first responders at the base of wtc1 - including battalion chief’s Joseph pfiefer
While Chris is filming, the South tower is struck, and he recalled later that he could physical feel the blast and the heat of the explosion.
In my opinion this is rare footage and perspective 500 feet above the streets and 500 feet below the strikes.
Never forget what took place 25 years ago today. Love and respect to those involved, those affected, and our great heroes who saved so many lives. Good bless America and its people.