The US Consul-General paid a touching tribute to people who lost their lives in 9/11 on the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

Antoinette Hurtado led a commemoration at the Botanical Gardens before invited guests.

Attendees heard from religious leaders, watched as wreaths were laid and heard the haunting Taps played on the bugle by Captain Sheldon Fox II of the Royal Bermuda Regiment.

A minute’s silence was observed.

Ms Hurtado told the group: “Thank you for joining us on this solemn occasion to honour the nearly 3,000 men, women and children who lost their lives 25 years ago in New York, Arlington, Virginia, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

“I think all of us can remember the moment we first learnt of the attacks. No matter where you were in the world, these events had a lasting impact on our lives.

“We remember the images we saw of the heroic first responders … law enforcement and firefighters risking, and sometimes losing, their lives to help others and to help save as many people as they could.”

Ms Hurtado added: “We remember Bermudians, Rhondelle Tankard and Boyd Gatton, and Robert Higley, an American resident in Bermuda, who all worked at the World Trade Centre that day.

“Each year Saltus and Warwick Academy remember their former students.

“While they host their own commemoration events this morning, I’d like to thank representatives from both schools, and students from Warwick Academy, who have joined us here.

“These events also remind us of the sense of unity we experienced with our allies and partners who stood with us in the aftermath of one of our most difficult moments, when the world came together, to grieve together and to denounce such violence.

“This 9/11 memorial here at the Botanical Gardens is a symbol of that unity.

“Commissioned by the consulate and built by Bermuda College, this memorial contains a piece of steel from the World Trade Centre and notes the partnership among the US, UK and Bermuda.

“It’s a reminder of the shared history and values among us and our collective spirit in honouring those we lost.

“While we carry the memories and impact of these losses, landmarks and commemorations such as these also remind us of our resilience, our capacity to rebuild and all that we can accomplish when we work together.

“I am grateful to have you all join us today to commemorate the anniversary of these tragic events, to honour the lives and memories of those we lost, and to reaffirm our shared commitment to a brighter future.”

Among the guests were Andrew Murdoch, the Governor; Dave Morgan, the Deputy Governor; Ryan Robinson Perinchief, the national security minister; and Kim Wilkerson, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.

US customs officials and officers from the Bermuda Police Service were also at the ceremony.

Mr Murdoch, told how the attacks had changed “countless families’ lives for ever” and that the atrocity had “left an indelible mark on Bermuda”.

He said: “It turned from this horrific moment to something dark and defining and whose ripples are still felt today, such was the shocking nature of that day.

“This is for those who never came home from work, or flights, or those who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“Our own were taken that day. Rhondelle Tankard, Boyd Gatton and Robert Higley. Their loss was deeply felt across our country.”

He paid tribute to the emergency services who gave “service and sacrifice” and added: “Now 25 years on and we remember and honour them and we will never forget.”

Mr Robinson Perinchief recalled being a small child on the day of the attacks.

He insisted that was why it was important to mark the anniversary.

“It matters a quarter of a century later … Bermuda remembers it not as a memory, but as history,” he said. “It is inherited, not lived.”

He spoke of the Bermudian families touched by the tragedy and said: “To those families, Bermuda has not forgotten you.”

The Right Reverend Nicholas Dill, the Anglican Bishop of Bermuda, Rabbi Chaim Birnhack and Imam Basim Muwwakkil addressed the gathering.

Mr Birnhack told how his uncle, Meyor Birnhack, had been rabbi to New York firefighters and was at the firehouse on the day of 9/11, helping people to safety in the aftermath of the attack.

Michael Branco, the Mayor of Hamilton, said after the commemoration: “Perhaps one of the most important responsibilities we carry today is to ensure that September 11 is remembered by generations who were not yet born when it happened.

“We remember not only the scale of the tragedy but the individual lives behind the numbers, the acts of courage and compassion that emerged in its aftermath and the resilience of communities that refused to be defined by tragedy.”

Dr Branco added: “It was a privilege to attend the remembrance ceremony at Bermuda’s September 11 Memorial in the Botanical Gardens.

“We remember every person who lost their life that day and we honour the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of the first responders who ran towards danger to help others.

“Twenty-five years later, we can also reflect on what the years since have shown us: extraordinary resilience and strength, greater connectivity across borders and our shared capacity to rebuild and move forward even after unimaginable tragedy.”