British 9/11 victim's poignant last words after calling family from inside the Twin Towers

The son of a British man who died on 9/11 has spoken out on the 25^th anniversary, explaining how the tragic event was not just an attack on America, but the whole world.

Jonathan Egan’s father Michael and Aunt Christine both died on 9/11 as they tried to escape from the South Tower of the World Trade Centre.

Both were from Hull and emigrated to Canada in 1969 and, in 1991, Jonathan moved to the US, living in New Jersey with his wife and children.

On the 11 September, 2001 however, Christine had been visiting from Canada, travelling to look after Jonathan’s younger siblings whilst Michael and his wife Anna went on holiday to Bermuda to celebrate their 20^th wedding anniversary.

Jonathan spoke exclusively to LADbible ahead of the 25^th anniversary of 9/11, recalling how he found out about the attacks and the tragic phone call his mother received from Michael from inside the Twin Towers.

Jonathan called his mum on 9/11 to discover that his father had called her moments before he died

The now 43-year-old explained that at the time he was 18 and had just started his first semester of college in California when he saw the attack on the World Trade Centre on TV.

His father Michael had long worked there and so he called his mother, only to discover tragic news.

He explained: “I got on the phone with my mom probably about an hour after I saw that and she told me she spoke to him.

“He was on the ground with a couple dozen people that couldn't breathe and he was saying his goodbyes. They couldn't get to the roof and doors were locked so he couldn't get to the helicopters.

“My mom was watching on TV, building drops and the phone line dropped.”

He added that his father was the fire warden of his floor and had argued with authorities telling everyone to stay inside, stating he had received messages from people thanking him for his father’s efforts.

The time after this was just as tragic as the family never recovered a body from the wreckage.

He revealed that Michael’s last words to Anna over the phone moments before the tower collapsed had been: “I love you, kiss the kids, the smoke, we can’t breathe, I’m not getting out.”

Jonathan said that 9/11 should be a lesson to the world, and works with a non-profit that teaches people in the UK about the tragedy

Jonathan spoke about how his dad and aunt were both ‘proud Brits’, adding: “The attacks on 9/11 were not just an attack on New York and the United States, it was an attack on the free world.

“With over 90 countries represented and almost 3,000 people that were killed that day, that was much more than an attack on the U.S. it was an attack on our way of life.

“One of the many lessons out of September 11th is the value of coming together. The more divided we are, the more exposed and susceptible we are to attack, to threats.”

He shared that he is now the father of a five-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter, but that with the world ‘more divided in the last decade’, that he is now ‘much more motivated to share the story, share the lessons, and try do his part in creating a more pleasant and happier world’.

Jonathan supports Since 9/11, a charity that is today running a commemorative event in London near the site of a piece of art made from the World Trade Centre recovered from Ground Zero.

Since 9/11 is a UK charity which aims to ensure that the next generation who were not born in 2001 are educated on what happened on the day, and looking to ‘tackle extremism through education in the classroom and building a legacy of hope from the tragedy of 9/11’.

Interview conducted by Anish Vij.