The heroic story of Christopher Amoroso on 9/11

Despite having a wife and baby of his own at home, despite being only 29 years old, he kept rushing back into the towers.

He was hurt and covered in blood, with smoke filling his lungs. He could have stopped, but he didn’t. He had already gone far beyond what was asked of him, but his sense of duty and compassion kept him going.

Chris never made it back out after this photo was grabbed.

After three agonizing months, his body was finally recovered from Ground Zero.

At home, his wife, Jamie, and their young daughter, Sophia Rose, were left to carry on without him.

”I knew when the second tower fell. I had a feeling that it wasn’t going to be good. I just knew,” Jamie Amoroso told NBC in 2021.

Jaime and Christopher had been married just one year before the tragic events of 9/11.

She knew better than anyone how extraordinary he was, and the photograph captured by Todd Maisel showed the world his heroism. In that moment, Christopher’s actions spoke volumes about his character.

”[The photo] was given to me,” Jaime said. ”It was good and bad. We have the proof he was a hero. He saved this woman.”

Who was the woman in the photo?

Many wondered about the identity of the woman in the photo, but she never came forward.

Jamie often thought about her, wondering if she had made it out alive. Over time, she grew more convinced that her husband hadn’t rescued the woman at all, and that it was too late — perhaps she had been caught in the collapse.

Photographer Todd Maisel also didn’t know who she was, but he’ll never forget the moment the photo was taken.