FROM THE AMAZON RAINFOREST TO GROUND ZERO - The extraordinary story of Sam Allen MD – an unexpected first responder on 9/11

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FROM THE AMAZON RAINFOREST TO GROUND ZERO

The extraordinary story of Sam Allen MD – an unexpected first responder on 9/11

A remarkable true story of courage, compassion and a life-saving journey, told through the personal recollections and photographs of a British doctor who found himself caught up in one of the most devastating days in modern history.

Special Coast & Country feature by Don Hale

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Some stories stay with you for a lifetime. Others become even more poignant when they involve someone you have known and respected for many years.

This is one of those stories.

I first met Dr Sam Allen in the 1980s, when I was editor of the Matlock Mercury in Derbyshire. We were both members of Matlock Athletic Club, along with the local MP, Matthew Parris. Over the years, Sam and I remained friends, and I have followed his remarkable life and adventures with considerable interest.

But nothing could have prepared me for the extraordinary experience he would eventually recount in his new book about the terrorist attacks on New York on 11 September 2001.

An ordinary journey becomes extraordinary

Sam was returning to the UK following an expeditionary adventure in the Amazon rainforest. He and members of his medical team were aboard an aircraft at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, waiting for clearance to take off.

Then the unimaginable happened.

From the windows of their aircraft, Sam and his colleagues watched as events unfolded around the Twin Towers. The planned departure was cancelled, and the passengers and crew were left witnessing the unfolding catastrophe.

Sam's photographs from that day provide a remarkable record of what he saw. One particularly striking image captures the view from the aircraft at JFK, with the smoke from the Twin Towers visible in the distance.

*Sam's view (*above) from the aircraft at JFK, showing smoke from the Twin Towers in the centre of New York.

A decision that changed the course of the journey

As the scale of the disaster became clear, an appeal was made by the U.S. State Department for people with medical experience to volunteer their assistance.

Sam and members of his team responded.

Instead of continuing their journey home, they volunteered to help at Ground Zero, joining those working in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.

It was an extraordinary change of circumstances: an expedition returning from the Amazon suddenly becoming a journey into the heart of one of the greatest emergencies in modern history.

Sam's account describes his experience as an unexpected first responder and provides a personal perspective on the events and the people involved in the response.

*Sam Allen MD - pictured right.

A photographic record of an unforgettable day

One of the most compelling aspects of Sam's book is the collection of photographs and personal recollections that accompany his story.

They include images taken from the aircraft at JFK, scenes of the smoke rising above Manhattan, and photographs showing the devastation and emergency response at Ground Zero.

These are not simply illustrations added to a historical account. They form part of Sam's own record of the experience.

*The Twin Towers and smoke above Manhattan.

The images are difficult to look at, but they help convey the scale of the disaster and the conditions faced by those who went to assist.

The book is also dedicated to 'New York's Bravest' – the men and women of the New York Fire Department – and to all those who lost their lives on 9/11.

Two distant members of the same family – brought together by 9/11

There is another fascinating dimension to this book.

It tells the true story of two distant members of the same family whose lives were brought together through the attacks on New York's Twin Towers.

Alongside Dr Sam Allen's first hand recollections is the story of Harry Koundakjian, the veteran Middle East war photographer and Chief Photo-editor at the Associated Press, who captured iconic images on that day.

Their very different experiences form an unusual family connection with one of the most significant events of our time.

A Special 25th Anniversary Edition

I was honoured when Sam approached my publishing company, Coast & Country, to help produce and promote this updated edition of his book.

This special full-colour 25th Anniversary Edition includes a foreword by Matthew Parris, who eventually left politics to become a writer for The Times.

The new edition brings together Sam's recollections, photographs and the wider family story in a lasting record of an experience that began with an interrupted flight home and became an unexpected call to help others.

*The front cover of 9/11 – the 25th Anniversary Special Edition.

A personal tribute

For me, this project has been particularly moving.

I have known Sam for several decades, and it is a privilege to help bring his story to a wider audience. We first knew each other through our shared interest in running, in very different circumstances from those described in these pages.

It is difficult to imagine what it must have been like to be sitting aboard an aircraft, watching the events unfold, and then making the decision to volunteer to help at Ground Zero.

Sam's book offers readers an opportunity to understand that experience through the eyes of someone who was actually there.

It is a story of an unexpected journey, medical service and human compassion, set against the background of a tragedy that affected people across the world.

Above all, it is a personal account that deserves to be preserved and remembered.

This is a book to read, share and cherish for posterity.