Wedding photo discovered at Ground Zero sparks 13-year search

A framed wedding photo, discovered miraculously whole amid the devastation of Ground Zero, has been returned to its owners after a stunning 13-year quest from the woman who has kept it.

The picture, showing a beaming bride and groom on their wedding day and a number of their smiling guests, has been in the possession of Lesley University associate professor Elizabeth Stringer Keefe since 2001.

It was given to the Boston woman by a friend who found at the site of the September 11 terror attacks, only weeks after the Twin Towers were levelled, prompting Prof Keefe's mission.

In recent years she started a tradition of tweeting the photo on September 11, trying to find who the wedding party were, and if they were still alive.

This year the internet caught on.

The picture was shared thousands of times, until it came to the notice of one Fred Mahe, a Colorado man.

Mr Mahe recognised the photograph as one that had sat on his desk in Tower 2, and got in touch with Prof Keefe, who shared her excitement with her followers.

She tweeted: "Attention wonderful world: ALL SIX PEOPLE ARE ALIVE AND WELL AND I HAVE JUST SPOKEN TO ONE OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!! #Happyending #911photo"

Mr Mahe said the "real story" was Prof Keefe and her effort to make sure the picture found its way home.