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Today In History: 15 Years from the Miracle On The Hudson

Today In History: 15 Years from the Miracle On The Hudson

By Idy Perl

On January 15, 2009, a miraculous and dramatic rescue took place on the Hudson River after a flight was forced to do an emergency landing in the water. 

US Airways Flight 1549 took off from LaGuardia Airport and was en route to Charlotte, North Carolina, when the plane struck a flock of geese in the air. The plane immediately went into engine failure and the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River. 

Port Captain on the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, Michael Duffy, had just started his new job two weeks prior when the accident happened, and he gave the order to rescue the passengers from the plane. Several New York Waterway and Circle Line ferries were the first on the scene, and together with the US Coast Guard and the FDNY safely rescued the 155 airplane passengers and staff members. 

Duffy spoke to the New York Post this week, 16 years after the water rescue, and mentioned how lucky the airplane passengers were since there was ice in the Hudson River a few days before and a few days after the incident, which would’ve ripped the airplane open, but that January 15th was luckily a clear day and allowed the passengers to be brought to safety. 

photo: NY Waterway


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