9/11 anniversary: Cornwall remembers brave victim from Hayle 20 years on
A memorial service was held for Cornishman Rick Rescorla
People in Cornwall have come together on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 to remember a brave victim from Hayle and all those who lost their lives.
Two services were held in Hayle yesterday (11th September) to honour local man Rick Rescorla who died in the terror attack in 2001.
Rick worked as head of security for a financial firm in the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
He had trained his staff in emergency evacuation procedures and led all 2,700 of them to safety that day.
The building collapsed on him as he tried to help other people get out of the burning tower.
His body was never found.
You can read more about Rick's story here.
A memorial stone for Rick stands near the railway viaduct in Hayle overlooking the river.
Two services have been held in his memory, led by Trevor Smitherham, the president of the Hayle Old Cornwall Society in the morning and Tom French in the afternoon, from the Royal Cornwall Parachute Regimental Association.
Trevor remains in contact with Rick's widow, Susan, who still lives in America.
He spoke to her several times in the lead up to the 20th anniversary of the day she lost her husband. She asked for a service to be held in the morning, to reflect the time of day the attack happened in America, and also for one to be held in the afternoon at the exact time the towers came down on New York time.
She also made a special request.
Trevor said: "I also did the wedding vows, just across here the little church consecrated in 1424, that was the mother church for this area. She asked me to read the wedding vows that Rick said to her in the May in the year 2000 at the church."
Edward Bolitho is the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall. He also attended the service to pay respects.
He told us: "It was a very, very sad day, and it was a sad day when we heard about Rick, but it was also an incredibly inspiring day because it shows the brilliance of human nature in that people will give their own lives to save others, and Rick was a prime example of that. And the fact that he came from Cornwall and from Hayle was just wonderful."
The Mayor of Hayle, Steve Benney, also gave a short speech. He told us it was an important occasion to remember Rick.
He said: "We are extremely proud of what Rick did, people sometimes say to you what difference can one person make, well if you stand back and look at what Rick did, that will show you what difference one person can make.
"Although these tragic events occurred in America it affected people right across the world, so it is vitally important that we all unite and get together and remember this, in the hope that we can avert it from ever happening again."