9/11 The Falling Man

[daffy654]

Did anyone watch the falling man on channel 4 last night? I found it to be a very thought provoking programme. I didn't realise that the relatives of those who jumped to escape the flames would prefer to deny their relative would ever do this. There was only one man whose wife jumped who was comforted by seeing the pictures of her. I think I would have jumped but who can say. The thought of a loved one burning to death rather than jumping is horrific to me.

[eyeshade]

I meant to watch this but recorder broken down! It is quite sad isn't, the whole thing. Who knows what we would do when faced with this scenario. The only hope I would have is that the smoke got to me first and just made me go to sleep. I wouldn't like to see all my friends burnt and knowing it was going to come to me. Terrifying. To have loved ones see their kin jump and know its them is also very sad but at least they had a choice if you like right up to the end and that is the one they chose. Which brings me to my next question, I suppose in a way this is a suicide act isn't it? I never really thought about it before...

[4getmenot]

I dont see why they need to know he is, It was a horrible event and it doesnt need to be found out. xx

[Sasha13]

Trying to put myself in one of the relatives shoes, the thought that my Mum (or whoever) was faced with the choice of burning to death or a 10 second fall would be so upsetting - It means they were alert and capable of conscious (sp?) thought until the end. If one of my relatives was trapped in the towers I'd rather they'd died instantly or, like eyeshade said, the smoke had got them and they'd 'fallen asleep' - not sure it happens like this, but that's what I'd want to think. So I can understand the relatives not wanting to accept that their loved ones jumped.

[monkeyeyes]

"There were some crazy, mad deeply religious people who flew a big plane into a building our loved ones worked in. They hoped to kill as many as possible.............and on that day, there were many, many dreadful ways to die. So let's just hope that our loved one burnt/bled to death, got smothered/suffocated, was crushed/blown to pieces, rather than made one last brave decision and jumped...................... For that would have been unforgiveable as it is against the tenets of our religion, which, naturally is not in the least bit crazy or mad."

[Cheesefreek]

It wasn't a suicide act - it was choice of how to die. The death itself was inevitable.

[Cheesefreek]

And also, isn't it shameful that the family of the man they first thought it was were more horrified that he would go to hell for taking his own life. The Catholic Church has a lot to answer for.

[mosesg]

I think it was a very brave decision to jump, it would take a lot of courage to jump out of a building that high. You never know what you would do unless you were in the same situation. It was a very thought provoking programme and gor forbide none of us ever have to be in the same situation.

[tiny e.a]

Nothing on this world would have made me ashamed of a family member who had jumped.

[andrea81]

I think it took a lot of guts to jump rather than burn to death, what a decision to make. I do think that they shouldn't be persisting with the family to accept though, it's against what they believe and it's how they want to remember him. It's all very tragic!

[Pippa68]

I agree, tiny.

I watched the programme when it was first on TV a year or so ago. The thought that these people decided to choose to die themselves rather than let the terrorists kill them was one of the bravest things I have ever seen.

However I think every single person in that building..and on the ground, were brave. I wouldn't want to take any respect away from them.

[bednobs]

i wonder if it makes a difference, life insurance-wise?

[daffy654]

I should imagine some of the unscrupulous insurance companies would have tried to not pay out to the families of those who jumped,they would have to prove they didn't fall or get pushed though and that would be almost impossible. The whole of the world would have been outraged if anything like that had reached the ears of the press/general public though.

I remember seeing the first reports on TV when it happened and I cried my eyes out,it was so tragic. I still cry when seeing footage of it and I think it will always get to me that way.