23: Jumpers

 

23 years ago today (September 11, 2001) an estimated 200 people jumped to their deaths from the burning Towers of the World Trade Center before they collapsed. They have since been called “Jumpers."

The vast majority were at or above the points of impact from the planes and had to choose either to burn or choke to death or jump.

In early video coverage (when the Towers were burning, but hadn't collapsed yet) you can hear the "thumps" as their bodies hit the ground.

This is a picture (called “The Falling Man”) of an unidentified man who jumped out of the burning Towers to the street below. It was only published once in the United States (on September 12, 2001) and then never again because many people thought it was too horrific to see.

It IS horrific and that is why EVERYONE (especially those too young on 9/11 or not yet born then) needs to see it and others like it. It captures exactly what happened on 9/11. Thousands of innocent men, women and children started their day like any other and then were wounded or killed because of the actions of the Terrorists.

The NY Medical Examiner’s Office doesn’t classify the people who jumped from the Towers as “Suicides” because they did not go to their work that day intending to die. They were faced with no other options since no rescue workers could get to them and the smoke and fire were about to consume them.

In the Documentaries and other Video Footage of the Attacks you can clearly hear the “thumps” and “crashes” of those who jumped as they hit other buildings, cars, people or the streets below.

The exact number of “Jumpers” will never be known since both Towers fell on top of them afterwards.