Twelve years ago, Flight 587 crashed and took the lives of hundreds. Today, loved ones left behind said the pain never goes away.
“The time passes, but the pain is still there in your heart,” said Anne Espinal, who gathered with others at the flight memorial site on Tuesday.
Espinal lost her mother in the crash. She had just turned 50 three days before.
“It’s like losing your best friend,” Espinal said, holding back tears.
She came together with dozens of others on a snowy day of remembrance, carrying brightly colored flowers and tissues as the names of the 265 victims were read.
On November 12, 2001 Flight 587 took off from John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport and began its trip to the Dominican Republic. It crashed in the Belle Harbor neighborhood shortly after takeoff, and stands as one of the country’s deadliest aviation incidents.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined the crowd of family and friends as they placed flowers near the names of their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and friends.
“Coming here every year is good support,” Espinal said. “It makes me feel really good. I feel like she’s here now. I know she’s watching me.”
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