Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Intense Videos: Daily News Photographers Recount Covering Horror, Heroism Of 9/11
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 11, 2011
Modified Sep 11, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 11, 2011
Modified Sep 11, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The Daily News has posted six powerful videos featuring News photographers who documented September 11, 2001. The photographers, David Handschuh, Todd Maisel, Debbie Egan-Chin, Andrew Savullich, Susan Watts, and Ken Murray, offer their memories of the day—from the chaos to the unnerving silence after the buildings collapsed—with their photographs, many of which are extremely graphic (Handschuh remembers how people started jumping, Maisel describes body parts falling from the sky).
Via Daily News video of David Handschuh
Handschuh notes that the News' photographs show many firefighters, police officers and other first responders who died, but the victims' families might take some solace in seeing their loved ones doing what they loved to do— saving people. Handschuh was also injured, he was buried under debris and his leg shattered: Firefighters removed him and then other rescuers carried him to a deli in Battery Park City.
Watts says, "I couldn't believe what I was seeing. You shoot first and you ask questions later... And I'm looking up, looking at bodies falling from the sky. Your brain can't keep up with the reality in front of your eyes."
Here are the videos—warning, some of the images are very graphic and may be disturbing to some viewers:
David Handschuh:
Todd Maisel:
Debbie Egan-Chin:
Andrew Savullich, who said, "Personally, I would not like to dwell on this... maybe I just don't want to relive this too much and all the anniversary stuff brings it all back."
Susan Watts:
Ken Murray:
Tagged
9/11
daily news
photographs
world trade center
World Trade Center attacks
wtc
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
A city investigation discovered that when the bus arrived at its destination in Crown Heights, one student was lying in a pool of urine.
By
Jessica Gould
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 1:04 p.m. ET
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
The East River bridges were falling apart until the city implemented a long-term repair plan in the 1990s. Now, officials are forming a new program to keep them standing through the 21st century.
By
Clayton Guse
News
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
The East River bridges were falling apart until the city implemented a long-term repair plan in the 1990s. Now, officials are forming a new program to keep them standing through the 21st century.
By
Clayton Guse
Queens mother charged with murder in death of 5-year-old daughter, NYPD says
By
Ryan Kost
NYC’s whiplash weather continues into weekend with heavy winds, chilly temps, NWS says
By
Monica Melton
Early Addition: Winning an affordable housing lottery is great unless it's not
By
James Ramsay
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .