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Why did people jump from the world trade towers?

MmmmmCheese

Sorry if this is a little insensitive, but its something I've always wondered.
Why did people jump out the windows of the world trade centres after they had been hit?

They surely knew they couldnt survive such a drop.
Was it because they didn't want to be burned to death? Was it the panic and they just couldn't handle it?

It must take some courage to actually jump and face your death like that. I guess we could never know what was going through the minds of those people at the time. Its just something I've always wondered about.....

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metaoblivia

I think it's fair to say that the majority - if not all of them - knew they wouldn't survive the jump. They probably didn't want to burn or suffocate to death and figured that jumping would be a quicker, less painful way to go.

caseyann

Picture standing in a volcano, There is the answer

Blind panic and shock also.

admiralofthefleet

for the lulz

CDfm

As an alternative to getting burnt to death or suffocating its probably what I would have done. I am a bit of a chicken with extreme pain.

Hazys

Instant splat >>>>> Burned alive for however long it takes

PhysiologyRocks

CDfm wrote: »

As an alternative to getting burnt to death or suffocating its probably what I would have done. I am a bit of a chicken.

Nothing chicken about that.

dlofnep

Deep toxic black smoke, unbearable heat, flames, scared shítless and full of adrenaline - probably just said "Feck it" - dived out, and screamed their lungs out until it was lights out.

I would have probably done the same.

The Big Red Button

CDfm wrote: »

As an alternative to getting burnt to death or suffocating its probably what I would have done. I am a bit of a chicken with extreme pain.

I'd have probably been too chicken to do it, no matter how certain I was that I'd die either way. I'm frickin terrified of heights!

brummytom

Yeah I always thought it was so they wouldn't have to suffer being burned.
Though getting crushed was probably quicker (I realise this sounds insensitive, it's not meant to, it's just an observation)

If it was me, I don't know what I'd do. I don't think I'd have the guts to jump. But being burned... horrible

abouttobebanned

Worst situation imaginable.

donmeister

Its Friday fuckin evening, can someone make a fun thread in AH rather than 9/11/recession/scumbags

The Big Red Button

brummytom wrote: »

Yeah I always thought it was so they wouldn't have to suffer being burned.
Though getting crushed was probably quicker (I realise this sounds insensitive, it's not meant to, it's just an observation)

If it was me, I don't know what I'd do. I don't think I'd have the guts to jump. But being burned... horrible

You'd probably suffocate before being burned.

What a f*cked up situation for anyone to be in.

It's hard for any of us to say for certain what we'd have done!

shampoosuicide

it's pretty obvious.

fire hurts

CDfm

chatterpillar wrote: »

It's hard for any of us to say for certain what we'd have done!

Drinks cabinet;)

Klingon Hamlet

Some didn't die straight away. I remember seeing a man jump and bounce of the walls as he fell, tore apart slowly, it still haunts me. Never was shown again, online or on TV. But I'll never forget.

God love all those poor people. To face such a hellish choice: burn to death, or fall to your death. Jesus.

Tails142

Maybe they had read Angels and Demons, stapled a few pages together and thought they'd be ok.

Might've worked if the US used A4 size instead of Letter....

K-Ren

A Bon Jovi convention was on in the building at the time of the attacks.

af_thefragile

They were hoping for Superman/Spiderman/Neo to come and save them!

Latchy

The heat, smoke and pure fear , reasons people have mentioned in the thread but also I imagine, quite a few would have being dead with heart attack / shock before they hit the ground

magicianz

Whats up with the serious answers on AH O.o

People are getting so lazy now that they cant be bothered using the lift.....'hey look an open window!'

I think we should make parachutes mandatory in all high rise building :pac:

Biggins

Falling from such a height by the way, there is a chance you will be dead before you even hit the ground.
Its something to do with the speed your falling at, unable to catch your breath or the surrounding air, etc.
Most of us have at some stage stuck our heads out a moving car window. remember how hard it is to breath when doing that at high speed?

I hope I never have to make that ultimate decision for myself.
Humans by their nature are also fighters. Even in that they fight for there might be a glimmer of hope of rescue or change in survival chances.
When that hope is gone, all that is left is the decision about how you wish to go!

...and sadly, on that day, that is what many faced.
May they rest in peace.

stovelid

I blame R Kelly.

mrgaa1

come on you mean you don't know - there were actually very few who jumped - they were the ones who set off the explosions or made sure the explosions were ready to go once the go ahead was given to drop both buildings. go to www.jimcorr.com and look at the 9/11 video - its 1.5hrs long but makes a lot of sense

mink_man

for the craic!

Hazys

Biggins wrote: »

Falling from such a height by the way, there is a chance you will be dead before you even hit the ground.
Its something to do with the speed your falling at, unable to catch your breath or the surrounding air, etc.
Most of us have at some stage stuck our heads out a moving car window. remember how hard it is to breath when doing that at high speed?

I hope I never have to make that ultimate decision for myself.
Humans by their nature are also fighters. Even in that they fight for there might be a glimmer of hope of rescue or change in survival chances.
When that hope is gone, all that is left is the decision about how you wish to go!

...and sadly, on that day, that is what many faced.
May they rest in peace.

I doubt you'd die from not being able to breath bcos when i did a skydive we were free falling for 60 secs, 14000 feet in the air where there is less dense air. I presume you can free fall for much longer without any problems. Id be suprised if the fall from the top of the WTC to the bottom is longer than 60 secs.

But still not a situation id like to be in.

NickNolte

Jesus. Can you imagine what was going through those poor peoples' minds? I know this is After Hours and all but... joking aside... what a s**ty, s**ty way to go.

af_thefragile

Guess atleast they get to experience free fall before they die.
Something that's on many people "100 things to do before you die" list...

stovelid

It's probably natural to just blindly escape smoke or flames. I doubt people made a rational decision to just jump.

My name is URL

Gravity has alot to answer for

Biggins

Hazys wrote: »

I doubt you'd die from not being able to breath bcos when i did a skydive we were free falling for 60 secs, 14000 feet in the air where there is less dense air. I presume you can free fall for much longer without any problems. Id be suprised if the fall from the top of the WTC to the bottom is longer than 60 secs.

But still not a situation id like to be in.

Also possibly true.
I remember some documentary on a few years back and some medical examiners stating that in some cases, the breathing issue above could have also been the situation in the case of their passing before they even came in contact with the ground.

And I agree too, definitely not a situation I'd like to be in.
So far I have been lucky and blessed.