NEW YORK — Dozens of mourners braved rain and wind on Friday to honor the memories of the 265 people who lost their lives when American Airlines Flight 587 crashed in Queens on Nov. 12, 2001.
Family members holding photos of their loved ones gathered under umbrellas at Flight 587 Memorial Park in Rockaway Park Friday morning for a ceremony marking two decades since the tragedy in Belle Harbor.
What You Need To Know
- Mourners gathered in Rockaway Park Friday morning to honor the memories of the 265 people who died when American Airlines Flight 587 crashed in Queens on Nov. 12, 2001
- Friday marked 20 years since the Dominican Republic-bound flight crashed in Belle Harbor minutes taking off from JFK Airport
- Mayor Bill de Blasio thanked those gathered for keeping the victims' memories alive
- Attendees shared a moment of silence, listened to a reading of the victims' names and placed flowers at the memorial wall
After Father Eric Cruz of St. John Chrysostom Catholic Parish in the Bronx offered a prayer for the victims, Mayor Bill de Blasio thanked those gathered for keeping their memories alive.
“It’s hard to believe 20 years have passed, but we all can feel right here what it felt like, those days just after 9/11, feeling that pain already, and then another tragedy,” de Blasio said. “A tragedy felt from the Dominican Republic all the way here to Belle Harbor. Two hundred and sixty-five good souls lost. And that pain does not go away.”
“But we still, even in the midst of pain, appreciate all the people who came in that moment to try to help — the first responders, the people from the neighborhood who tried to help, from that moment on,” he added. “And then for the 20 years since, the way you have all helped each other. You’ve been there for each other. You’ve created a community, and out of the pain, you found something so good and noble.”
“Thank you for always being there for each other,” he went on to say. “Thank you for always remembering, and we will always stand by you.”
Following the mayor’s remarks, attendees shared a moment of silence before the victims’ names were read.
As the weather-shortened ceremony ended, Belkis Lora — whose brother Jose was one of 260 passengers who perished in the crash — invited attendees to place flowers at the memorial.
Lora spoke with NY1 about her brother before the event began. The Santo Domingo-bound flight he was on crashed minutes after it took off from JFK Airport.
“To come to this site and have this memorial for our loved ones, it means a lot for the families. It means their life, we still remember them. Their memory is still alive,” she said. “Just to see my brother’s name there, it brings me comfort.”