A chance encounter on one of the most tragic days in history turned into a loving relationship for an American woman and a British man.
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On September 11, 2001, Diane Kirschke was aboard Continental Airlines Flight 5 from London to Houston on her way back home after visiting her son, who was stationed in England with the US Air Force.
British businessman Nick Marson was on the same flight heading to Texas for work.
In the middle of the flight, news of the terror attacks in the United States caused their plane to be diverted to Canada as the Federal Aviation Administration shut down all US airspace.
"Even though that sounded horrific, nobody realized how devastating it was until sometime later," Nick told CNN.
Nick Marson and Diane Kirschke were strangers on a flight that diverted to Newfoundland when US airspace closed during 9/11. The unexpected love story that unfolded helped inspire musical @wecomefromaway: https://t.co/bGtUBc9o2M (1/4)
— Francesca Street (@FL_Street) September 8, 2021
In total, 38 jetliners landed at Gander International Airport in Newfoundland as more than 7,000 passengers and crew members descended onto the small rural town.
Although strangers, Nick and Diane, who were both single, soon found themselves housed in the same local shelter and struck up a friendship.
"I just went over to her, and I said, 'Is it alright if I bed down here?' And she went, 'Sure,'" the British businessman told KPRC-TV. "We've got a lot to talk about because we come from totally different backgrounds, different countries."
The pair were nearly inseparable during the next four days as they made the best of their time stranded away from their homes.
When flights were given the clear to return to the skies, Diane worried she might never see Nick again and took action as they were being ushered to their plane.
"We were on the school bus, in the back, and I just grabbed him and gave him a big kiss because I thought, 'If I don't do it now, when we get to Houston, he's going his way, I'm going my way," Diane told the local outlet.
The pair began a long distance relationship and two months after their chance encounter, Nick proposed via telephone from his car in England.
Then almost a year following their first meeting, the duo married on September 7th, 2002 in Houston after Nick relocated to the US. For their honeymoon, the newlyweds returned to the same small town in Newfoundland where their romance began.
Their incredible love story has since been incorporated into the storyline of the Tony-winning musical "Come From Away," which depicts the events at Gander following the September 11th attacks.
After celebrating their 19th wedding anniversary earlier this week, the couple offered up advice to the world.
"Make the most of every day, make the most of it," Diane told CNN. "Because who knows how many days anyone has."
A filmed version of "Come From Away" is currently streaming on Apple TV+.
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