25 Years Later, the Family of the Man Linked to the ‘Falling Man’ Photograph Shares a Message of Faith and Remembrance
Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, one of the most recognizable photographs from that tragic day continues to raise difficult questions about memory, identity and the human cost of history. Now, the sister of the man widely believed to have been pictured in the photograph has spoken about her family’s enduring grief, the memories they continue to carry and the role faith has played in helping them move forward. The photograph, taken by Associated Press photojournalist Richard Drew at 9:41 a.m. on September 11, 2001, became known around the world as the “Falling Man.” Rather than focusing on the image itself, the family’s story offers a deeply personal reminder that behind every photograph from a historic event is an individual life and a family left to remember them.
The identity of the person in Drew’s photograph has never been officially confirmed, but years of investigation led journalist Tom Junod to identify Jonathan Briley as the most likely match. Briley was a 43-year-old sound engineer who worked at the Windows on the World restaurant at the World Trade Center. Details about his height, clothing and appearance were among the factors considered during the investigation. The photograph itself became the subject of intense public discussion because of its emotional impact, with some newspapers reducing or discontinuing its publication after readers expressed discomfort. The question of who was pictured also became intertwined with the broader challenge families faced after September 11: trying to establish what happened to loved ones when the available evidence was often incomplete.
A Family Still Carrying the Memory
Briley’s sister, Gwen Briley-Strand, has continued to remember her brother decades after his death. In comments shared around the anniversary, she described grief as something that can change over time rather than simply disappear. Some years, she said, feel as though the attacks happened decades ago, while others can bring back the emotions with surprising intensity. Her memories also extend beyond September 11 itself. She recalled that Jonathan had spent the week before the attacks in Florida with her and her husband after joining their vacation at the last minute. That trip became the final time she saw her brother, making those ordinary family memories especially meaningful.
Faith has also remained an important part of how Briley-Strand understands her brother’s final moments and the thousands of other lives lost that day. She explained that Jonathan had been deeply connected to his Christian faith, had been ordained as a deacon only months before his death and had grown up playing gospel piano. Rather than viewing the people who died in the towers through judgment, she said she believes they should be remembered with compassion. For her family, that perspective has provided a way to honor Jonathan not simply as the person associated with a famous photograph, but as a brother, son and member of a family whose life extended far beyond the events of that morning.
The Photographer Behind the Historic Image
Richard Drew has also spoken over the years about the circumstances surrounding the photograph and the public reaction to it. He explained that he was photographing the unfolding events as a photojournalist and that the camera captured a sequence of images. The particular frame that became famous was not something he deliberately composed in advance. Instead, it emerged from a rapidly unfolding moment that he reviewed later. Drew has said that his responsibility was to document what was happening, even when the resulting photographs were extremely difficult for the public to process.
The debate surrounding the “Falling Man” photograph reflects one of the most complicated questions in journalism: how should history be documented when the images themselves are painful to view? For some people, the photograph became a symbol of the scale of the September 11 tragedy. For others, it felt too personal to publish or revisit. Decades later, the image remains part of the historical record, but Briley-Strand’s perspective provides another way of understanding it. Her story encourages people to look beyond the photograph and remember that the person believed to be pictured had a family, relationships, faith and an entire life that cannot be reduced to a single frame.
Remembering the People Behind History
Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the September 11 attacks, leaving families and communities to live with the consequences for generations. The anniversary therefore remains more than a date in history books. It is also a moment when relatives revisit photographs, stories, final conversations and memories of everyday life before everything changed. The story surrounding Jonathan Briley illustrates why personal remembrance remains so important. Whether or not the identity in the photograph can ever be established with absolute certainty, his family’s memories stand independently of the image. They preserve the story of a person who was much more than the subject of a photograph.
Twenty-five years later, the “Falling Man” remains one of the most discussed photographs associated with September 11, but the most lasting message from Briley’s family is not about the photograph itself. It is about remembrance, faith and the importance of seeing historical tragedies through the lives of the people who experienced them. For Gwen Briley-Strand, remembering her brother means holding on to the person she knew rather than allowing one haunting image to define his entire life. As another anniversary arrives, her words offer a quiet reminder that history is ultimately made up of individual stories—and that behind every name, photograph and statistic is someone who was deeply loved.