The terror attack that still haunts New York and the nation reached another sad milestone after the 200th member of the FDNY died from a 9/11-related illness, officials said Thursday.
Retired Firefighter Richard Driscoll, 73, died Wednesday as a result of inhaling the toxins swirling around the Twin Towers nearly 18 years ago, the FDNY said.
"It is almost incomprehensible that after losing 343 members on September 11, we have now had 200 more FDNY members die due to World Trade Center illness," FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. "These heroes gave their lives bravely fighting to rescue and recover others. We will never forget them." Driscoll, a Vietnam veteran, retired from Engine 91 in East Harlem in 2002 after serving the department for 32 years.
On Sept. 11, 2001, after terrorists crashed hijacked planes into the World Trade Center's North and South towers, Driscoll rushed to Ground Zero and "worked tirelessly in the rescue and recovery efforts that followed," the FDNY said.