Richard Drew Reflects on the Iconic Falling Man Photo 25 Years After 9/11

On September 11, 2001, Associated Press photographer Richard Drew captured a single frame that would become one of the most enduring images of the attacks on the World Trade Center. The photograph, now known as ‘The Falling Man,’ shows an unidentified man falling head‑first from the burning North Tower. The image was taken at 9:41 a.m., just 15 seconds after the first plane struck the tower.

When Drew emerged from the subway at the World Trade Center that morning, he saw both towers ablaze. He recalled, “I was wondering how one plane could hit both towers and the way the fire was on one side.” He did not realize the full scope of the attack until a police officer told him, “I was here when the second plane hit.” The realization that the day’s events were unfolding in real time was a shock that would shape his work for years.

For Drew, the camera is a filter between reality and himself. He said, “It’s my job to photograph whatever happens in front of me. I guess I record history every day and this is part of the history of this event.” The Falling Man was not a single shot; it was part of a series of images of the same man falling. The camera’s rapid frame rate captured the moment when he was in a perfectly vertical position, a detail that made the image particularly striking.

The photograph has sparked debate about the ethics of publishing such a graphic image. Some argue that the image is too intimate and that families should not be exposed to it. Drew counters that the photo does not show blood or gore; it is a quiet, almost clinical image of a man’s last moments. He believes that the image allows people to confront the reality of the day and to ask, “What would they do? And if they were in the same situation?”

The identity of the man in the photograph remains unknown. In 2006, a man who claimed to be the fiancé of a woman who worked at the World Trade Center approached the Associated Press office. He said he knew what his fiancée was wearing that day and wanted to see the photos that might show her. Drew allowed him to view the images on his laptop, giving the man a form of closure.

In recent years, the sister of a man believed to be the Falling Man has spoken publicly. Gwen Briley‑Strand has said that her brother’s death was not a suicide but a tragic consequence of the attacks. She has also expressed that she no longer watches the image, citing the pain it causes. Her statements highlight the ongoing emotional impact of the photograph on families and the broader public.

The Falling Man remains a symbol of the human cost of 9/11. It is displayed in museums and memorials, and it continues to be referenced in discussions of photojournalism ethics, the role of the media in covering tragedy, and the ways in which society remembers and processes collective trauma.

Richard Drew’s photograph has endured because it captures a moment of extreme vulnerability and the raw reality of that day. While the identity of the man remains unknown, the image serves as a reminder of the countless individual stories that were lost in the towers.

The photograph was first published by the Associated Press and has since been reproduced in books, documentaries, and news coverage of the 25th anniversary of the attacks. It remains a powerful visual record of one of the most significant events in recent American history.

The legacy of the Falling Man continues to provoke discussion about how we memorialize tragedy, how we respect the privacy of those who suffered, and how we use images to convey the weight of history.