Firefighter standing next to George Bush in iconic 9/11 photo dies

Beckwith was born in 1932 and served as a New York City firefighter from 1965 until his retirement in 1994.

New York:

A New York firefighter who was working in the rubble of the World Trade Center during George W Bush’s first visit after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks gave the then-president a historic speech, authorities said Monday. The firefighter who was standing next to the World Trade Center has died at the age of 91.

Bush’s arm draped over Robert “Bob” Beckwith, then 69, wearing a fireman’s helmet and T-shirt and speaking into a megaphone, in the most famous scene from the Ground Zero response one.

Beckwith’s iconic photo with President Bush, taken three days after Al Qaeda hijackers crashed airliners into the Twin Towers, killing thousands of trapped workers and first responders, captures a moment both inspiring and heartbreaking “A breaking moment,” said Laura Kavanaugh, now the new president. Commissioner, York City Fire Department (FDNY).

Speaking to rescuers searching for survivors during his first tour of the smoldering ruins of Lower Manhattan, Bush said: “I can hear you, and so can the rest of the world, who are tearing down these buildings. You will be heard, too.” We’re quick. “

Beckwith was born in 1932 and served as a New York City firefighter from 1965 until his retirement in 1994.

Kavanaugh said in a statement that he “was one of many retired FDNY members who responded to the World Trade Center site in the days and months after September 11 to aid in rescue and recovery efforts to A testament to their dedication to the FDNY family.”

Bush said Monday that he was “proud that Bob was by my side at Ground Zero” and “honored to stay connected with this patriot over the years.”

“His courage represents the defiance and resilience of New Yorkers and Americans after 9/11,” Bush said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.

In addition to the New York attacks, 9/11 hijacked planes crashed into the Pentagon outside Washington and in rural Pennsylvania, killing a total of 2,977 people and injuring nearly 6,300.

A compensation fund for 9/11 victims estimates that by 2021, more people will die from related illnesses – particularly cancer among rescue workers working at the smoke-filled Ground Zero – than died on the day of the attacks. There are even more people.

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