A man listed as missing after the 11 September attacks on the World Trade Center has been found alive in a New York hospital, almost a year after the tragic events.

I am just grateful he is alive, God worked a miracle

George Sims' mother

George Sims, 46, who is suffering from amnesia and schizophrenia, was found earlier this month after the hospital contacted his family and asked for a photograph to confirm his identity.

"He's alive, but he's not in the best health," Mr Sims' mother, Anna, told the New Jersey newspaper Star-Ledger without disclosing the hospital.

"When I saw him, he did not know me. He did not know his daughter. He did not know his brother," Mrs Sims said.

Mr Sims is believed to have been "selling things" near the WTC on the day when the attacks occurred.

He was reported missing after his family did not hear from him for a few weeks.

Miracle

Even now, no-one knows exactly what Mr Sims was doing on the 11 September and how he ended up in the hospital.

Officials say the exact death toll may never be known

But his family hopes that he will recover eventually and will be able to explain what happened.

"If God brought him this far back to me, he will come back the rest of the way. It will take time," Mrs Sims said.

"I am just grateful he is alive. God worked a miracle."

On last week's Associated Press list of 694 victims from New Jersey, Mr Sims was the only person listed as "reported missing" because there was no verification, other than a report by his family.

He was also on the official New York list of victims as one of 90 people recorded as missing.

Experts say that the case shows why the exact death toll of the 11 September attacks may never be known.

New York officials have released a list of the 2,819 victims whose names will be read during next month's anniversary ceremony.

But the officials said the list was still being revised and changes were expected later this week.