Father and Son 9/11 Responders Die From Cancer Linked to Ground Zero

A father and son, who were both 9/11 responders, have died within a year of each other from cancer that's been linked to their 9/11 recovery work, with the death of Robert Alexander this week.

Raymond Alexander, a New York City firefighter, and his son Robert, a New York Police Department officer, both searched through the debris at Ground Zero for days following the tragic attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, that left nearly 3,000 people dead, according to The Washington Post.

Among those that the pair were searching for was Robert's best friend, who along with more than 340 other members of the FDNY and 23 NYPD officers died on the day of the attack, the New York Daily News noted.

Raymond and his son survived the aftermath of 9/11 and several months later Robert decided to join the FDNY before later becoming a marine engineer.

However, the pairs' health would only get worse from there.

In November 2016, Raymond died after a 13-year battle with seven different types of cancer, The Post noted. He was 76.

At the time, his family said the cancers were linked to the toxic debris from the 9/11 attack.

Less than a year later, the Alexander family lost Robert to brain cancer. He died Monday at age 43. His family says the cancer, just like Raymond's, is also linked to their 9/11 rescue and recovery efforts.

FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro issued a statement about the father and son on Wednesday, according to the Daily News.

"World Trade Center illnesses continue to take the lives of far too many FDNY members, now including two generations of the Alexander family — a father and son who served so bravely, for so long," he said.

United Firefighters Association President Gerard Fitzgerald also offered his sentiments, mentioning Roberts efforts in support of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act providing compensation for medical costs for those with 9/11-related illnesses.

"Bobby fought for the Zadroga Act and made many trips down to D.C.," he said. "He should be hailed a hero, besides being a firefighter, for what he has done for so many first responders."

"Most people couldn’t fathom losing a father or a son, but to lose two family members in a year is horrific," Fitzgerald added. "It’s a terrible loss for the Alexander family."

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