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Pentagon responder's fatal cancer linked to toxic debris from September 11 attack

NBC News reports that an FBI responder died from cancer certified as caused by September 11 debris.

The short version

  • Jack Hess, an FBI agent who responded to the Pentagon crash site on Sept. 11, 2001, died of kidney cancer in 2023 at age 64.[NBC News]
  • The World Trade Center Health Program certified his Stage 4 cancer as caused by exposure to hazardous site debris.[NBC News]
  • More than 400 FBI personnel suffer from 9/11-related illnesses, and at least 33 have died from related cancers, according to the bureau.[NBC News]

Key facts

  • Jack Hess responded to the Pentagon following the crash of Flight 77 on Sept. 11, 2001, spending hours near hazardous debris.[NBC News]
  • The World Trade Center Health Program certified Hess's Stage 4 kidney cancer as caused by his Pentagon site exposure.[NBC News]
  • Hess passed away from the disease in 2023 at age 64 after first receiving a kidney tumor diagnosis in 2017.[NBC News]
  • FBI figures show over 400 personnel have 9/11-related illnesses, with at least 33 dying from certified cancers.[NBC News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.