Tim Hetherington, journalist and the Academy Award-nominated co-director of the documentary Restrepo, was killed earlier today in Misrata, Libya. He was covering the current uprising against Libyan leader Col. Omar Qaddafi and was killed during a mortar attack by Qaddafi’s forces on rebels occupying the city. He was 41.
Hetherington was a noted photojournalist who had won the prestigious Dupont Award and had produced pieces for ABC News’ Nightline from the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan. With writer Sebastian Junger, Hetherington spent a year embedded with the Second Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (airborne) of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in the Korengal valley. The end result was the critically acclaimed documentary Restrepo, which was nominated for an Academy Award last year.
Hetherington’s family released the following statement –
It is with great sadness we learned that our son and brother photographer and filmmaker Tim Hetherington was killed today in Misrata, Libya by a rocket-propelled grenade. Tim will be remembered for his amazing images and his Academy Award nominated documentary “Restrepo” which he co-produced with his friend Sebastian Junger. Tim was in Libya to continue his ongoing multimedia project to highlight humanitarian issues during time of war and conflict. He will be forever missed.
Getty Images photographer Chris Hondros was fatally wounded in the attack. Two other photographers were also injured during the attack.
