NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – The retired FDNY firefighter who stood beside then–President George W. Bush at Ground Zero days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks has died.
Bob Beckwith died at the age of 90, according to the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York, which represents FDNY firefighters.
"Bob is one of the heroes of 9/11 who stood tall for America, New York City and all New Yorkers," the union wrote on X Sunday night. "He spent many hours searching for the members we lost on that fateful day in 2001."
"A man of true dignity and is beloved by the UFA and the department for all of his sacrifice," the UFA continued. "God bless Bob, his family, and all the members who worked with him at Ladder 164 and Engine 313. May his memory never be forgotten."
Beckwith's cause of death wasn't immediately clear, nor was the exact day he died.
Iconic photos taken on Sept. 14, 2001, show Bush with his arm around Beckwith as the president addresses first responders just three days after the attacks killed 2,977 people. A photo of Bush and Beckwith even made the Sep. 24, 2001, cover of Time magazine.
Beckwith, a longtime resident of Baldwin in Nassau County, was 69 and retired for seven years in 2001, but he put on his old FDNY gear and managed to enter the World Trade Center site to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts.
"I was just an old man, just getting older and enjoying my retirement. Then 9/11 came," Beckwith told Yahoo! News in 2011.
Former Long Island Congressman Peter King said Monday that Beckwith was a "true American icon."
"Bob Beckwith was a man of dignity and class who personified the very best of the FDNY, New York and America at our most perilous moment," King wrote on Facebook. "I was proud to call Bob my friend and extend my prayers and deepest sympathy to his wife Barbara and all his family members."