Mark Wahlberg has described the “gut punch” of emotions he feels on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, after narrowly avoiding becoming a passenger on one of the hijacked planes.
The actor had been booked to travel from Boston to Los Angeles on American Airlines Flight 11 on September 11, 2001, but changed his plans the previous day and flew to Toronto instead.
Flight 11 was hijacked shortly after take-off and crashed into the North Tower of New York’s World Trade Centre at 8.46am, killing everyone on board and many people inside the building.
Wahlberg has previously spoken about the profound effect of knowing he could have been on the aircraft. His reflections have resurfaced as the United States marks 25 years since the terrorist attacks, which claimed almost 3,000 lives.
The same flight was also due to carry Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy. He has said he arrived at Boston’s Logan International Airport too late to board after being given the wrong departure time and waking up in the airport lounge after the gate had closed.
MacFarlane later recalled seeing the news that Flight 11 had crashed and realising it was the plane on which he had been due to travel. He described himself as “very, very, very lucky” during an interview with CNN’s Larry King in 2010.
Wahlberg’s latest comments come as memorial services and commemorations are being held across the US to remember those killed in the attacks and the first responders who died in the rescue effort.
