Mexico Beach walks to honor the lives lost on 9/11

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Mexico Beach is honoring the lives lost on 9/11. Firefighters and community members participated in the annual 9/11 Never Forget ceremony this morning.

They began walking around city hall at 7:46 a.m., the same time the first airliner hit the north tower of the World Trade Center. They continued walking until 8:59 a.m., when the first tower fell.

Then they gathered at the flagpole for a prayer led by the chaplain, after which firefighters lowered the flag to half-staff.

Mexico Beach Fire Rescue sounded their emergency sirens three times as an evacuation call, then carefully lowered the flag from their fire truck.

They carry on this tradition to never forget the lives lost that day.

“Every day, there’s an unknown. And those guys went to do their jobs. And sadly for them and a lot of their families, they didn’t return. So it’s important that we just remember not just the firefighters, but all the people who just went to work that day on a normal day, who unfortunately got caught up in the whole thing,” Mexico Beach Fire Chief Sandy Walker said.

Mexico Beach Fire Rescue has nine full-time and six part-time firefighters.

They are temporarily operating out of the public works department, with plans for a new fire station soon.

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