American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden is now streaming on Netflix and takes viewers back to that fateful day of the 9/11 attacks
**Content warning: The following story includes distressing themes. **.
In a sombre reflection of one of history’s darkest days, Netflix has launched the gripping docuseries ‘American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden’, which follows the intense ten-year search for the mastermind behind 9/11. Debuting on the platform on March 10, this three-part series delves deep into the hunt, presenting heart-wrenching and unsettling segments throughout.
The opening chapter thrusts viewers into the chaos of the September 11 attacks, featuring firsthand narratives from survivors within the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.
Among those recounting their harrowing experiences is Navy Action Officer Kevin Shaeffer, who was at the Pentagon when terror struck. He revealed: “Never did any of us inside of the Pentagon think our safety was at risk, to us it was a fortress.”
Describing his near-death encounter, Shaeffer continued: “I felt the blast come from behind, immediately I sensed I was on fire. Everything was burning all around me, I was plowing my way through, I could finally see some glimpses of daylight”, reports the Mirror.
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He recounted his desperate escape: “My adrenaline surged, I stood up and I walked out of what was a big punch out hole. I had been burned on over 40% of my body, I had inhaled so much jet fuel and smoke.”
Reflecting on his miraculous survival, he stated: “I flatlined twice. On my branch, I was the only sole survivor,” as viewers are confronted with the poignant imagery of Shaeffer being stretchered away amidst the chaos.
The September 11 attacks were four co-ordinated assaults carried out by al-Qaeda against the US in 2001.
Nineteen terrorists commandeered four commercial airliners, with the first two crashing into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.
The third plane was flown into the Pentagon, while a fourth crashed in a rural Pennsylvania field during a passenger uprising.
This marked the deadliest terrorist attack in history, claiming the lives of 2,977 innocent civilians and plunging the world into grief.
Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden admitted responsibility for the horrific attacks, sparking a nearly decade-long manhunt to locate him.
A new Netflix documentary delves into the efforts made to find the most-wanted man and reveals how the US government came tantalisingly close to finding him on several occasions.
The film also highlights the moment he was finally apprehended and the mission orchestrated by then-president Barack Obama and the US Navy.
American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden is now streaming on Netflix
