AP journalists recall the chaos and personal toll of September 11, 25 years on
Karen Matthews was preparing her three-year-old for preschool when the first tower was hit, and she began documenting the unfolding disaster while holding her child. Photographer Richard Drew captured the iconic “Falling Man” image as people leapt or were forced from the burning towers. Other AP staff, including Larry Neumeister and Amy Sancetta, recount the shock of arriving at Ground Zero, the surreal scenes of ash and debris, and the lingering emotional impact of their work.
On September 11, 2001, AP reporter Karen Matthews heard a massive boom in her Manhattan apartment, rushed outside with her daughter, and started recording eyewitness accounts as the North Tower was struck. Photographer Richard Drew, originally assigned to Fashion Week, photographed the collapsing towers and the haunting “Falling Man” picture, later grappling with its legacy. Reporter Larry Neumeister arrived at a nearby hospital to find empty wheelchairs and realized the death toll would far exceed expectations.
Photographer Amy Sancetta, on a day off after covering the U.S. Open, found herself near the South Tower as it fell, later describing the scene as a white, snow-like landscape. All four reflect on how the events reshaped their sense of safety and the role of journalism in documenting catastrophe.
How this story developed
- Aug 28 Forgotten Lessons of 9/11 Fuel Growing Islamist Influence in U.S. Politics
- Sep 5 Data show that 5,892 first responders and nearby residents have died from cancers linked to 9/11 toxins, while 57,044 cases have been documented.
- Sep 6 A new analysis highlights the generational shift in how Americans born after 2001 perceive and commemorate 9/11.
- Sep 7 Donald Trump claimed he went to the World Trade Center site with construction crews the day after 9/11, a statement disputed by first-responders.
- Sep 8 Mayor Mamdani released 170,000 pages of internal records on Ground Zero air‑quality claims.
- Sep 8 Trump added the Medal of Freedom award for Welles Crowther and the cutter‑naming announcement to the memorial event.
- Sep 9 The released collection includes the October 2001 “Harding memo” that acknowledges the city’s awareness of toxic risks and potential litigation.
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