News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A 9/11 first responder who spent 40 consecutive days sifting through the debris of the Twin Towers has shot himself dead after a long battle with lung disease.

Douglas Greenwood was in charge of the New York Police Department officers on the ground, and worked with them to locate body parts in Ground Zero's infamous Pile.

But it is believed that as a result of his heroic work in the aftermath of the terror attack, his health rapidly deteriorated, reports the New York Daily Post.

While searching through the debris, neither Mr Greenwood, nor many of his other colleagues, wore protective masks.

The captain of the Manhattan South Task Force spent the last ten years sleeping with an oxygen tank.

(Image: ManhattanPeachy/Youtube)

(Image: Allsport UK/ALLSPORT)

(Image: Getty Images)

Mr Greenwood, 61, underwent multiple surgeries in a bid to alleviate the pain he suffered due to lung disease but it eventually became too much to manage.

He shot himself in the chest on December 12, at a park near his home in Suffolk County, New York.

Mr Greenwood's friend, Kevin McCormick, said: "He talked about shooting himself as an inevitable thing.

"He said 'when there's no more quality of life, I'm going to do it'. He knew it was coming."

(Image: Getty Images)

(Image: Getty Images)

(Image: Getty Images)

Mr Greenwood's pal, Ralph Friedman, added: "He’d be commanding the scene, everyone was sifting through the scene for bodies, body parts. He was right there. And it cost him his health — as it did for a lot of officers."

After 9/11 , Mr Greenwood was forced to retire from the police department 14-years-ago, after 26 years in service, as a result of his ongoing illness.

He then launched into a second career, becoming the co-owner at the famous Bleecker Street Pizza restaurant.

Mr Greenwood never married or had children.

(Image: Google Streetview)

(Image: Daily Mirror)

(Image: Getty)

A total of 2,996 people died in the terrorist attacks. The toll included 265 on the four hijacked planes, with two hitting the towers, one crashing into the Pentagon and a third coming down in a field in Pennsylvania after its passengers tried to overcome the hijackers.

Back in 2014, shocking figures revealed that 2,500 emergency responders and rescuers were diagnosed with cancer following 9/11.

Fires burned for three months at Ground Zero, releasing carcinogens and other deadly chemicals into the air. Thousands of tonnes of toxic debris lay strewn at the site of the Towers’ collapse.

It is predicted that there will be many more 'hidden' victims of the terror attack, even decades after the horrific event.

If you have been affected by this story, Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org