Firefighter describes emotional 9/11 stair climb

A firefighter who travelled to the United States to take part in a stair climb challenge to mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11 said it had been "emotional".

Ronnie Sherratt was one of eight firefighters from Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service who flew to Atlanta in Georgia to take part in the event on Saturday.

More than 1,200 firefighters from across the world climbed 110 floors - the same height of the World Trade Center towers - to honour the US firefighters who died in the attacks and aftermath on 11 September 2001.

"This was amazing meeting up with people, all of us coming together, this is just brilliant," Sherratt told BBC Radio Northampton's Justin Dealey.

"It's really surreal, really important. It's a very emotionally charged event with everything that happened."

Sherratt - who is watch commander at Wellingborough and Raunds fire station - was one of hundreds of UK firefighters who travelled to the US to take part in the event at the Atlanta Braves Stadium.

The firefighters were in their full uniform for the climb during humid 27C (80.6F) temperatures.

A service was held before the climb to remember those who died which Sherratt said was "pretty special".

He also met some US firefighters who were there at the 9/11 attacks.

"We had a couple of guys here that were there that we were fortunate to meet," he continued.

"Two of them were on the coach that they commandeered on the way in as the second tower got hit.

"They were here to tell their story to us... and listening to what they were saying just makes my eyes well up."

He added: "We will never forget that day. We're here to prove it and we are proving it."

The attacks in 2001 saw 19 Al Qaeda terrorists hijack four commercial passenger planes, two of which were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City.

Both towers collapsed while another plane struck the Pentagon near Washington DC.

The fourth plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania, but it was believed to have been destined for the US Capitol Building also in Washington DC.

The attacks killed 2,977, while 343 firefighters from New York also died after having run toward the danger to save hundreds of people.

Do you have a story suggestion for Northamptonshire? Contact us below.

Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.