On the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a haunting photograph taken by journalist Bill Biggart has gone viral. The image, captured just moments before his death, shows the remains of the South Tower and the still-standing base of the North Tower.
The 2001 attacks on New York City’s World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a Pennsylvania field resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths, marking the deadliest terrorist act on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor.
Bill Biggart, a seasoned photojournalist known for documenting conflicts and social issues, was at the scene capturing the devastation. Despite being warned by his wife about the terrorism involved, Biggart continued to document the chaos, reassuring her, “I’m O.K. I’m with the firemen.”
Bolivar Arellano, a New York Post photographer, noted that Biggart was closer to the towers than any other photographer or firefighter. At 10:28:22 a.m., as the North Tower collapsed, Biggart captured the South Tower’s ruins amidst dust and smoke. Two seconds later, he was buried under the debris, with 500,000 tons of rubble collapsing on him.
The last photo taken by Bill Biggart, the only journalist killed covering 9/11. pic.twitter.com/vt85v3dZw1
— Fascinating (@fasc1nate) September 10, 2024
Rescue crews recovered Biggart’s body four days later, making him the only professional photographer who did not survive the tragedy.