It remains one of the enduring mysteries of 9/11: Who was the “falling man”? As he plunged headfirst from near the top of the North Tower of the World Trade Center, his last moments were captured in a grainy image by a photographer below. For some, the haunting image came to symbolize the unbridled horror of that day, when 2,977 victims lost their lives. The identity of the man in the photo has never been conclusively proven. The likeliest possibility seems to be Jonathan Briley, 43, a sound engineer in the Windows on the World entertainment complex on the 106th and 107th floors of the tower. However, 24 years on, his sister Gwen, now 71, said she still doesn’t know for sure, and doesn’t really want to find out. She prefers to see the “falling man” as a representative of all who lost their lives that day. An estimated 200 people, who realized there was no way out, fell from the top floors of the towers.
