Luis Alvarez was one of the first responders on the scene at the World Trade Centers on 9/11

Luis Alvarez was one of the first responders on the scene at the World Trade Centers on 9/11. He spent weeks at Ground Zero searching for survivors and human remains.

In 2016, he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer that had spread to his liver. He was one of thousands who developed cancer in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

The first responders breathed in pulverized dust that contained cement, asbestos, lead, glass fibers, dioxins and other chemicals. He died in 2019 at just 53-years-old.