Sister of 9/11 ‘Falling Man’ reveals truth behind infamous photo 25 years after attack & their tragic last trip together

THE sister of the falling man pictured jumping from the World Trade Center on 9/11 has revealed the truth about the infamous photo after 25 years. Gwen Briley-Strand, 72, told how she and her brother Jonathan Briley, 43, thought to be the man pictured, spent one last trip together before his death in the 2001 terrorist attack. The infamous falling man picture, thought to be Jonathan Briley, 43, as he fell to his death Credit: AP He was one of 2,977 people killed by al-Qaeda terrorists on 9/11 Credit: Reuters His sister revealed she still watches the anniversary coverage, 25 years on Credit: AP Gwen said: ‘I believe that all those individuals that jumped were caught’ Credit: 2001 AP The picture became an iconic symbol of the tragedy of 9/11, when 2,977 people were killed by al-Qaeda terrorists. For years, his identity was a complete mystery. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Instead, he became emblematic of all the victims who died that day whose final moments were never known. Eventually Esquire magazine’s Tom Junod unmasked Jonathan as most likely to be the figure seen falling to his death. He spoke to photographer Richard Drew who captured the seminal image. Richard revealed that his camera had actually taken several pictures of the man in quick succession – and one frame held a critical clue. It showed the man’s shirt blowing open to reveal a distinctive orange t-shirt underneath. Fire and smoke billows from the north tower of New York’s World Trade Center Credit: AP Recovery and cleanup work at the World Trade Center in November 2001 Credit: AP:Associated Press Jonathan was a sound engineer at Windows on the World restaurant on the 106th and 107th floors of the North Tower. Most read in The Sun The details matched up. His sister Gwen told the Daily Mail that her family had been “very hurt” when Jonathan was suspected to be the man in the photo, but that she had never “fixated” on whether it was him. She said: “The photograph brought so much pain to so many people when they were trying to figure out who this person was. “I remember hearing about a family who were deeply religious and, with Catholicism, this man that jumped, that’s suicide and that’s the unforgivable sin.” But Gwen said: “I don’t believe in an unforgivable sin. God is too benevolent. He’s too wonderful. I think the only unforgivable sin is not to believe in Him. “I believe that all those individuals that jumped were caught. Their spirits were caught.” She admitted: “Truth be told, it did look like him.” She doesn’t look at the photo anymore. Gwen revealed that she had been able to take a trip to Florida with her husband and Jonathan the week before 9/11, which she said had been “a gift of God”. She said: “We were right there on the ocean and we would get up and have Kahlua and coffee and watch the sunrise. It was really special because he decided to join us at the last minute.” A quarter of a century on from the tragedy, Gwen said she watches the anniversary coverage every year. She said: “There are times when it feels like 25 years but, then again, there are times when it feels like yesterday.” In the end, Gwen said the identity of “Falling man” didn’t really matter. Instead, she believes “he was a representative of all of those almost 3,000 people that had to go through that horrific day of September 11”. The photo is now in the private collection of Sir Elton John, who called it “one of the most perfect photographs ever taken”. Comment now