Parnevik: 'I feared for my life'

Parnevik was at a meeting in a New York hotel

Jesper Parnevik says he feared for his life as the World Trade Center was destroyed close to where he was staying in New York.

The Swedish Ryder Cup golfer was at Manhattan's Plaza Hotel for a meeting with golf clothing designer Johan Lindeberg when the first hijacked plane struck its target a kilometre away.

"The first hit we didn't hear because of the thick walls in the hotel," Parnevik said on Wednesday.

It was absolutely terrible - we were just running and waiting for the next hit

Jesper Parnevik

"But then we heard from reception what had happened.

"Because the Plaza is a very well-known building, we thought they might go for us - so we had to get out of there."

Leaving his belongings, Parnevik ran from the lobby just as the second plane hit, making the ground shake beneath him.

"It was absolutely terrible. We were just running and waiting for the next hit," he said.

"Of course you are afraid. I was thinking about my family and what might happen next."

Safe

Parnevik headed north towards Central Park, where he and Lindeberg sheltered in the shadow of low buildings for seven hours before returning through the thick smoke to the hotel.

"It was amazing to hear he was safe and in one piece," his wife, Mia, said.

"But it's hard being apart from one another.

"There could even be a war and most of all you just want him back in Sweden."

Parnevik is due to play in the World Golf Championship in St Louis, the start of which has now been delayed until Friday.

"It has calmed down a bit now but it's sobering to look out of the window," he said.

"Some of the streets look just the same but others are sheer chaos, and the military are everywhere."