A man from Florida spotted a cloud formation resembling a firefighter running towards an angel on 9/11.
Matt Snow, a teacher in Oakleaf, Jacksonville, US, was driving to work on the 18th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks when he saw the scene.
He took a photograph of the unusual sight and posted it on Facebook, where you can make out two images.
Snow captioned the photo, "Doesn’t it look a firefighter running with a hose and an angel with the sun perfectly behind it?."
This baby born on 9/11 at 9:11pm weighs 9 pounds 11 ounces
The man spoke to Fox News about the image, saying that he did a double-take after spotting the formation.
"I couldn’t believe what I just saw. My wife and I are both teachers and we drive that road every morning with our kids. Out of all days, today it looked like that," he told the publication.
"From instantly crying, to goosebumps, to having a community get-together talking about it. I hoped that a few of my friends would see it and be reminded that GOD is in control and He has a plan, no matter if we understand it or not," he continued.
"I never would have guessed it would go viral in our country nor across the globe. It just goes to show that we as individuals can have impacts on other people’s lives, even if it’s just a photo. Take the time everyday to find joy around you, then spread it. You never know who it will help."
Snow admitted that he might have been extrapolating as "today is 9/11", but other people corroborated that the formation resembled a firefighter.
"That is almost unbelievable. Thank you for sharing," wrote one social media user.
Frank Culbertson was the only American off-planet during the devastating terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. When the first plane hit the World Trade Center, Culbertson was approximately 250 miles above Earth, working in The International Space Station with two Russian cosmonauts.
Looking down at the earth, Culbertson could see smoke billowing over New York City which he quickly realized was caused by the collapse of the second of the Twin Towers to fall.
Watch the moving video here:
The astronaut spoke about the harrowing moment in a 2014 documentary titled Astronauts: Houston We Have a Problem. The clip has resurfaced on TikTok, accompanied by Culbertson's commentary of what he was seeing.
In the video, he describes how he rushed to record the historic attacks. "I raced around and found a video camera and a window facing in the right direction," he said.
"The weather was perfectly clear that day. I could easily see New York City - a big black column of smoke coming out of the city, and as I zoomed in with the video camera, I could see this big grey blob enveloping southern Manhattan," the astronaut continued, adding: "What we were seeing was the second tower coming down."
Culbertson can also be heard reporting on what he could see to Mission Control at the time. "We can see New York City, and the smoke from the fires," he describes.
"Our prayers and thoughts go out to all the people there and everywhere else. Here I'm looking up and down the East Coast to see if I can see anything else," the astronaut continues, adding: "I just want the folks in New York to know that their city still looks very beautiful from space."
The clip has already racked up hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok, with many people taking to the comments section to share their experiences of seeing the towers fall.
Credit: TikTok
Credit: TikTok
Credit: TikTok"Absolutely heartbreaking. I remember my mom told me she was feeding me my bottle when she saw the attack on TV," one person shared.
"I remember that smoke cloud hovered over Manhattan for days," another wrote, while a third commented: "My son was 11 days old and that morning. Just heartbreaking, everything went silent."
Featured Image Credit: Universal Images Group North America LLC / Alamy
A heartbreaking video shows the moment an astronaut watched the tragic 9/11 attacks unfold from space.
As we remember those who died in the September 11 attacks 23 years ago, many of us will also be remembering where we were when the devastating events were unfolding.
The World Trade Center was one of the targets on 9/11. Credit: Robert Giroux/Getty
But while many of us were watching from home or with family, naval aviator and astronaut Frank Culbertson was the only American in space at the time.
Culbertson was the only person from the US onboard the International Space Station (ISS) as it was in low orbit on the day of 9/11.
After taking off a month earlier from the Kennedy Space Center, his time on the ISS was supposed to be memorable due to the fact that it was his first (and only) time in command of the station. However, his time onboard will forever be remembered in history due to the fact he was the only American off-planet at the time of the attacks.
In the documentary Astronauts: Houston We Have a Problem, Culbertson recalls: "The weather was perfectly clear that day. I could easily see New York City - a big black column of smoke coming out of the city, and as I zoomed in with the video camera, I could see this big grey blob enveloping southern Manhattan.
The astronaut continued: "What we were seeing was the second tower coming down."
Culbertson can also be heard reporting on what he could see to Mission Control at the time. "We can see New York City, and the smoke from the fires," he describes.
"Our prayers and thoughts go out to all the people there and everywhere else. Here I'm looking up and down the East Coast to see if I can see anything else," the astronaut adds.
In a video shared to NASA's YouTube channel, Culbertson recalls: "I didn't know exactly what was happening but I knew it was really bad because there was a big cloud of debris covering Manhattan."
After being informed of what was happening back on Earth, he says: "That's when it really became painful, because it was like seeing a wound in the side of your country... of your family and friends."
An image of New York City captured by Frank Culbertson while aboard the International Space Station. Credit: NASA
In an interview with NASA back in 2015, Culbertson revealed that he heard the news of the attacks from flight surgeon Dr. Steve Hart back on Earth, who had had called to relay some test results.
"Steve said, 'We're not having a very good day down here on Earth,'" Culbertson said. "He began to describe to me what was happening in New York. ... As we were talking, he said we just lost another airplane somewhere in Pennsylvania, we don't know where or what's happening. They told us all they could, which wasn't very much."
As the ISS moved over New England, Culbertson grabbed a video camera and started recording.
"I could clearly see the city," he said. "It was a perfect weather day all over the United States.
"The only activity I could see was this big black column of smoke coming out of New York City.
"When I zoomed in with the video camera, I saw this big gray blob basically enveloping the southern part of Manhattan. What I was seeing was the second tower coming down."
Tragically, the "blob" he was describing was the second tower of the World Trade Center collapsing.
"It was horrible to see my country under attack," he recalled.
New York's Bravest are getting some new recruits, in the form of the children of the brave firefighters who perished on 9/11, the New York Post has reported.
As we edge closer to the 18th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, the current FDNY Academy class - who are set to graduate in two weeks - includes 13 new recruits whose firefighter fathers were killed on 9/11.
The group is made up of 12 men and one woman, and even includes two sets of siblings - two sons of one fallen firefighter, and the son and daughter of another hero.
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Widow Heloiza Asaro told The Post that she is "very proud" that her son, Marc, 25, and daughter, Rebecca, 27, are joining siblings Matthew Asaro, 30, and Carl, 31, in the FDNY. She continued:
"Being that they are the youngest, I’m more concerned. They wanted to honor their father, to help people like he did. Even if he hadn’t died, they would have become firefighters. Since they were little kids, the fireman was Santa Claus. The fireman organized the picnics."
Described as a "historic" group of "legacy" probationary firefighters, the group also includes the sons of two firefighters who died as a result of respective illnesses linked to their rescue and recovery work at Ground Zero.
In an Instagram post, the FDNY revealed that "more than 200 FDNY members have died of World Trade Center-related illnesses."
Spokesman Jim Long revealed that this group contains the most legacy recruits since 9/11, although, dozens of children from fallen 9/11 firefighters have joined in the years prior.
Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro told The Post:
"Bravery runs in these extraordinary families who have sacrificed so much for our city. I’m proud of the commitment these probies have already demonstrated to the department and look forward to celebrating with them at their graduation."
Gerard Fitzgerald, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, added:
"I think it’s a great tribute to their dads. It’s quite inspirational to hear that they’re following in their fathers’ footsteps."
Twenty-two-year-old James Foti, son of Robert Joseph Foti of Ladder Co. 7, is thrilled that his older brother Robert, who just turned 27, is joining the FDNY in honor of their father:
"I know he’s happy. He can’t wait to start the next chapter in his life. When he got in, I got real emotional. It was always about joining the FDNY."
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Getty]]
Another set of siblings in the FDNY class are Anthony and Leonard Ragaglia, Jr., who were just seven and 10 years old respectively when their father, 36-year-old Leonard, a member of Engine Co. 54 in Manhattan, perished.
Speaking to the Post, Stella Heedles spoke about how her grandson and FDNY probie., Thomas, has joined to honor his father, Dennis J. Heedles Sr. - a 9/11 first responder who died at the age of 56 in 2015 as a result of complications of 9/11-linked lung cancer. She said: "He wanted to be like his father and I’m very happy for him. I pray for him".
On Tuesday, the United States came together once again to mourn the thousands of lives lost in New York City in 2001. It was the 17th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, in which 19 Al-Qaeda militants hijacked four planes, carrying out attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, while a fourth plane was diverted from its target by the heroics of the passengers on board.
Across the United States, and the word, there were tributes paid to those lost, speeches given about unity, and stories shared of the many people who helped evacuate or otherwise save lives that fateful day. Memorials took place all across the country, including a remembrance ceremony held in Andover, Minnesota, by the local fire department.
The Andover Fire Department chose to pay tribute by using two of their trucks to display an American flag, over a highway on the outskirts of Minneapolis. That morning, Fire Chief Jerry Streich was on the scene, where he caught a symbolic moment on camera, as a bald eagle landed on the extended ladder of one of these trucks.
The eagle watched the men as they put up their "We will never forget" banner, a moment that was shared during a Facebook live video. You can watch the beautiful moment in the video below:
The Facebook post has since been shared over 100,000 times, with 2.3 million views so far.
"Isn’t that unbelievable," Streich says in the moment, and the commenters agreed. One of the 21,000 commenters wrote: "It gives me chills watching this !!"
"What could be more symbolic for this day?" the fire department wrote in their post.
The devastation to New York was so extreme that people from all walks of life tried to do their bit to help their city during its darkest hour, including Hollywood actor Steve Buscemi, who had trained as a firefighter before embarking on his big-screen career.
Buscemi worked as a firefighter in downtown Manhattan in the 1980s, and following the attacks, he donned his uniform once again to work 12-hour shifts in the grueling search for survivors.
Per the Independent, Buscemi said of his efforts at the time:
"It was a privilege to be able to do it. It was great to connect with the firehouse I used to work with and with some of the guys I worked alongside. And it was enormously helpful for me because while I was working, I didn’t really think about it as much, feel it as much."
[[imagecaption|| Credit: PA Images]]
The actor's heroic actions were once again brought to light by the Brotherhood of Fire Facebook page in 2013, who wrote under a picture of the actor:
"Do you recognize this man? Do you know his name? Lots of people know he's an actor, and that his name is Steve Buscemi. What very few people realize is that he was once one of New York’s Bravest.
"In 1976 Steve Buscemi took the FDNY civil service test when he was just 18 years old. In 1980 Steve Buscemi became a New York City Firefighter. For four years, Buscemi served on one of FDNY's busiest, Engine Co. 55 in Manhattan's Little Italy. He later left the fire service to become a successful actor, writer and director.
"After 9/11/2001... Brother Buscemi returned to FDNY Engine 55.
"On September 12, 2001 and for several days following Brother Steve worked 12-hour shifts alongside other firefighters digging and sifting through the rubble from the World Trade Center looking for survivors."
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The post continued: "Very few photographs and no interviews exist because he declined them. He wasn't there for the publicity."
When he did eventually open up about his work with New York's Bravest, the now 62-year-old actor told CBS News: "Firefighters are great at helping others, they're great at helping each other. But they're not always - they don't always know that they, themselves, are in need.
"Their first reaction would be: 'Oh, the next guy has it worse, you know?'"
[[imagecaption|| Credit: PA Images]]
A total of 343 firefighters made the ultimate sacrifice on 9/11 to serve and protect others, the Independent confirmed, and their sacrifice will be remembered forever.
Buscemi passed the FDNY civil service test at the age of 18, and even though he left firefighting to chase his acting dreams, he remained very much involved in causes that are dear to the hearts of New York City's firefighters.
He has spoken at union rallies and even hosted the HBO documentary, A Good Job: Stories of the FDNY.
He also still serves on the Board of Advisors for Friends of Firefighters, an organization that helps New York-based firefighters and their families.
Buscemi, along with every single first responder that fateful day, is a hero. And may everybody who lost their lives as a result of the attacks rest in eternal peace.
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