In a stunning revelation, an extraordinary 9/11 video has surfaced on YouTube, more than two decades after the harrowing terrorist attacks that shook the world on September 11, 2001. The nearly nine-minute-long footage offers a previously unseen perspective of the catastrophic event, capturing in clear detail the moment the second plane slammed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
On that fateful day, nineteen terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes, two of which were deliberately flown into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center, while another struck the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The attacks resulted in the tragic loss of 2,996 lives, leaving the world in shock and disbelief.
The newly unveiled footage stands as a testament to the enduring impact of that day. It was shared on YouTube by Kevin Westley, a U.S. Army veteran, decades after the tragedy.
Westley, an aircraft commander who served in the 2003 Iraq War, inadvertently kept the video private shortly after uploading it to the platform in the early 2000s. It remained hidden from public view for an astonishing 20 years.
The video, captured by Westley while he was on a boat amidst a crowd of horrified onlookers, provides an unfiltered perspective of the North Tower engulfed in flames. It then pans around to capture the chilling moment when the second plane hurtles towards the South Tower, forever etching itself into the collective memory of that tragic day.
In a poignant post accompanying the video’s release, Westley stated, “I posted this video in the 2000s but accidentally left it private until now. I noticed the video was private and made it public.” His inadvertent decision to keep the video hidden for two decades has now granted the world access to a unique and haunting view of the 9/11 attacks.
Reflecting on his experience as a firsthand witness to the atrocity, Westley recounted the horrific toll it took. “In an instant, I saw 2,763 die. 25,000 injured,” he said, his words laden with the weight of that tragic day. “As I was caught in the dust cloud of the collapse, I remember seeing a picture of a child (and am now wondering) if I now was looking at an orphan.”
Among the eyewitnesses who saw the attacks unfold, Tony Arrigo holds a unique place in the annals of September 11 history. A New York native, Arrigo witnessed the first plane, American Airlines Flight 11, crashing into the North Tower as he was simply taking out his trash from his home. His firsthand account, recorded moments after the initial impact, has become an integral part of the collective memory of that fateful day.
The emergence of this long-concealed 9/11 video serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring impact of the attacks and the power of technology to unveil new perspectives on historical events, even after two decades have passed. As the world continues to remember and reflect on that tragic day, this footage stands as a testament to the resilience and determination of those who bore witness to history’s darkest hours.