Posted on 08/27/2002 12:22:07 PM PDT by hjvan
Man Missing Since Attacks Is Alive Tue Aug 27, 7:36 AM ET
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - A man who was believed to be near the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 and was later reported missing has apparently been found at a New York hospital.
The family of George V. Sims, 46, said they learned of his whereabouts earlier this month when the hospital called and said they believed Sims was a patient there. They asked for a photograph of him to confirm their suspicions.
"He's alive, but he's not in the best of health," his mother, Anna Sims, told The Star-Ledger of Newark on Tuesday. "When I saw him, he did not know me. He did not know his daughter. He did not know his brother."
Anna Sims said her son has been diagnosed with amnesia and schizophrenia. She did not disclose the hospital where he is being treated.
On an Associated Press list of 694 victims from New Jersey released last week, George Sims was listed as "reported missing" because there was no verification, other than a missing persons report filed by his family, that Sims was a World Trade Center victim.
Family members said they believed Sims was "selling things" near the twin towers when the attacks occurred and, when they did not hear from him for a few weeks, they reported him missing to city police on Oct. 7.
While no one knows exactly where Sims was the day of the attacks or how he ended up at the hospital, his family remains hopeful that he will eventually recover and tell them what happened.
"If God brought him this far back to me, he will come back the rest of the way. It will take time," Anna Sims said. "I am just grateful he is alive. God worked a miracle."
The family did not apply for any of the financial assistance provided to victims' survivors and did not obtain a death certificate, the newspaper said.
God bless him and his family.
That would be wild to get that phone call. Wow.
Good luck to him and them...
From the article it can be inferred that the man was living on the street. He was "selling stuff" on the street. He may not have had any ID.
By "things" (with sinister looking quotes added), does the author mean drugs or stolen goods?
Based on this little piece of information, I'd say that nobody really thought he was dead in the first place.
Maybe he wasn't in the hospital the whole time.
Yup. I wonder what their relationship was pre-911. And also what his mental state was before then.
His family may have a lot to gain by "believing" he was "around" the Twin Towers the morning of the attack. Already, a lot of "true believers" have been outed since that fateful day.
Leni
What would they have to gain. The article said they did not apply for any benifits.
I thought so too until I got to this. All the other scammers would have claimed they 'knew' he was there. These people never did, so they didn't get him listed as a victim.
This is an amazing/strange story; am wondering, given the time frame, why the hospital did not post HIS picture as 'found'.
Leni
You chastising someone for being insensitive rings a little hollow, don't ya think?
Check out some of his posts in the forum, RB. You'll find "the thing" easily mocked a deceased FReeper who he had disagreed with.
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