23 years later: Coroner Fowler reflects on 9/11

ALBANY, Ga. – Michael Fowler, the city coroner of Albany, Georgia, is known for helping solve crimes locally, but many don’t realize his work extends far beyond south Georgia.

He’s been involved in 24 disaster events worldwide, including 9/11, the tragic day that forever changed America, claiming nearly 3,000 lives in the U.S.

Fowler and other coroners were quickly dispatched to New York where he didn’t hesitate to help identify victims and offer closure to grieving families.

But… even for a man who has seen it all, 9/11 left a lasting impact on him.

“9/11 at first, I mean, I went to 9/11. I had lots of smaller disasters like the flood in 94, 98, some tornadoes. But… when I went to the World Trade Center, like I said, we had about 3,000 people that were in that Trade Center that passed. And, that’s the first disaster that I really shed any tears on and, I don’t know why, that grief, you can just feel the grief because when you was going into the World Trade Center Ground Zero to help, find the person, the one, meant a family member was standing on the side of the road trying to give you the picture and hand it to you in the car to look for my loved one. My. The kids are crying. It was really devastating, and real heartfelt. Man, I just had so much compassion for those families. So, many times we work 12 to 16 hours, just trying to find a loved one and get them back to their loved ones, to their families. It plants something in my head. To learn to really appreciate life. You don’t know who you would get back. So, we should love each person and you know, you love your family member, you love your friend and remove the hatred and the racism, all this stuff. Motives, and just loving people. Because tomorrow is not promised to you when they leave. You might not see them again. And, I’ve had family members say that, did I mean, I didn’t tell them I loved them. I wasn’t able to say goodbye. And, so, sometimes that does devastation, the grief inside of you, sometimes you, along with knowing it for a long period of time,” said Michael Fowler, Coroner, Dougherty County.

Today, we remember a tragic event in America.

But… through Fowler’s perspective, let’s use this day as a reminder to cherish those we love, as 9/11 taught us how quickly life can change.

Gabe Hutton reporting.

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