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Nathan has said his camera acted as a “bit of a buffer” as he faced the horrors of 9/11, but this simple family snapshot cut through. Picture: Nathan Edwards
1/10Nathan has said his camera acted as a “bit of a buffer” as he faced the horrors of 9/11, but this simple family snapshot cut through. Picture: Nathan Edwards
Nathan was helped onto the site of the terror attacks by a fireman. “He was walking past and he grabbed me and said: ‘I’m taking him with me. The world has to see this’,” he says. Picture: Nathan Edwards
2/10Nathan was helped onto the site of the terror attacks by a fireman. “He was walking past and he grabbed me and said: ‘I’m taking him with me. The world has to see this’,” he says. Picture: Nathan Edwards
The scale of destruction was hard to comprehend in those first hours, Nathan says. “I don’t think anyone could ever be prepared to see something like that.” Picture: Nathan Edwards
3/10The scale of destruction was hard to comprehend in those first hours, Nathan says. “I don’t think anyone could ever be prepared to see something like that.” Picture: Nathan Edwards
As an injured fireman was being lifted on to a ‘cherry-picker’, Nathan recalls: “All I could see were his feet and one of his mates, screaming for more help.” He later learned the firefighter didn’t survive. Picture: Nathan Edwards
4/10As an injured fireman was being lifted on to a ‘cherry-picker’, Nathan recalls: “All I could see were his feet and one of his mates, screaming for more help.” He later learned the firefighter didn’t survive. Picture: Nathan Edwards
“There was rubble everywhere, concrete chunks with steel rods sticking out, huge steel beams twisted like they were foil,” says Nathan. “That grey dust - God knows what was in it - covered everything.” Picture: Nathan Edwards
5/10“There was rubble everywhere, concrete chunks with steel rods sticking out, huge steel beams twisted like they were foil,” says Nathan. “That grey dust - God knows what was in it - covered everything.” Picture: Nathan Edwards
“Streets normally buzzing with traffic were now littered with crushed cars and fire trucks,” says Nathan. “West St had become a thigh-high river as water mains and pipes broke, one after the other.” Picture: Nathan Edwards
6/10“Streets normally buzzing with traffic were now littered with crushed cars and fire trucks,” says Nathan. “West St had become a thigh-high river as water mains and pipes broke, one after the other.” Picture: Nathan Edwards
Among all the chaos, Nathan recalls “the seemingly endless sheets of paper still floating to the ground” from the many offices destroyed in the attacks. The paper fuelled spot fires in the rubble.
7/10Among all the chaos, Nathan recalls “the seemingly endless sheets of paper still floating to the ground” from the many offices destroyed in the attacks. The paper fuelled spot fires in the rubble.
Climbing over the wreckage was the only way to get closer to the twisted skeleton of the twin towers, says Nathan. “I remember falling through some rubble and ending up in waist-high water, ripping my pants and cutting my leg on a sharp piece of metal.” Picture: Nathan Edwards
8/10Climbing over the wreckage was the only way to get closer to the twisted skeleton of the twin towers, says Nathan. “I remember falling through some rubble and ending up in waist-high water, ripping my pants and cutting my leg on a sharp piece of metal.” Picture: Nathan Edwards
Hundreds of first responders were killed as the towers came down. Firefighters involved in the rescue effort would later learn that 343 of their colleagues from the New York City Fire Department had lost their lives. Picture: Nathan Edwards
9/10Hundreds of first responders were killed as the towers came down. Firefighters involved in the rescue effort would later learn that 343 of their colleagues from the New York City Fire Department had lost their lives. Picture: Nathan Edwards
“The thing I always think about are the faces of the firefighters,” Nathan says. “Just seeing these massive men that are heroes of mine and seeing their faces in the days after the attack.” Picture: Nathan Edwards
10/10“The thing I always think about are the faces of the firefighters,” Nathan says. “Just seeing these massive men that are heroes of mine and seeing their faces in the days after the attack.” Picture: Nathan Edwards
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Original URL: https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/in-depth/nathans-images-from-the-day-the-world-changed/image-gallery/9da3cfecbfa81dae33fc8305bbe63c09