Page 10 - Good News August 2015 paper

By Warren F. Holland I prayed intensely. I repeated,
t was Thursday morning, 15 “Please God, help us. Please God,
January 2009. I was in New forgive me,” over and over again.
IYork City where I travelled to Nothing coherent. There were just
work on a regular basis. It was too many thoughts going through
about 10:30 and snow was my head.
coming down pretty hard. I had
checked the weather forecast Yet I still had hope. If they could at
because I had a 7 o'clock flight least get one engine going… We
home to Charlotte, North Caro- just needed some power to get
lina, and I didn't want to get stuck. back to LaGuardia. We'd only http://www.nydailynews.com/
been up for three minutes;
Passengers exit downed Flight 1549 in the Hudson River on 15 Jan. 2009.
The Weather Channel website certainly we could turn around
said the snow was going to cease and make a safe landing. traumatic. I knew the plane was “In hindsight, I think something
and it was going to be a nice day. I intact and not broken up. No one remarkable did happen that day.”
went to a meeting with my boss That hope went out the window was going to be severely injured. I - Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullen-
about 11 o'clock and snow was when I realized we were getting made my way to the aisle, and the berger III.
still coming down. lower and lower, following the emergency doors were open. I
river. When that realization set in - saw a beautiful, clear blue day, Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullen-
“What are you still doing here?” sheer terror! I realized the sunlight streaming in. It was the berger, III (born 23 January, 1951)
he asked. “You're going to get likelihood of dying on this plane. most wonderful feeling I have is a retired airline captain,
stuck here. You really ought to get There was nowhere, no one to ever felt! Symbolic it seemed like aviation safety expert and
home.” So I rebooked for the turn to but God. it was a new day, a new life. A new accident investigator, best-
14:45 flight. Seat 16E. beginning! selling author, speaker and
I prayed intensely. I was there with consultant. He was hailed as a
When I boarded the plane, I was Him. It was the closest I had ever I filed out the doorway to step national hero in the United States
using my cell phone, sending felt to Him. I didn't bargain: “If You onto the wing, and turned back when he successfully executed
texts, talking to people right up save us, I will…” Instead I prayed around to get a lifejacket. No one an emergency water landing of US
until they closed the cabin door. for my family, my children, my had announced that we were Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson
We taxied for about thirty wife. Shortly thereafter, Captain going to make a water landing and River off Manhattan, New York
minutes, as is usual at LaGuardia Sullenberger's voice came over to remember our lifejackets City, after the aircraft was
Airport, and we took off. the intercom. “This is the captain. underneath the seat cushion. Of disabled by striking a flock of
Brace for impact.” course all the cushions by the exit Canada geese during its initial
Sitting back, I felt the steep climb row had been stripped away and I climb out of LaGuardia Airport on
that pressed me against the seat. I There was nothing in those words found none. 15 January 2009. All of the 155
opened the newspaper to read the for me but death and pain. The passengers and crew aboard the
remnants of The Wall Street cold, hard reality hit me, and there I did absolutely nothing right. I did aircraft survived.
Journal that I hadn't finished that was nothing I could do about it. I everything wrong, but I still came http://www.wikipedia.org
morning. was strapped in my seat, com- out of this. If I had gotten out there
pletely and utterly powerless. on the wing, and the wing was ***
There was a muffled bang that I sinking, and the ferries were not
could literally feel. The whole In the midst of that utter there, I would have drowned Mark Hood, a medical equipment
plane shuddered. “What could hopelessness, I was thinking because hypothermia would have salesman from Charlotte, said
that possibly be?” I wondered. about the future, as crazy as that overtaken me in ten minutes. staring down death - and having
might sound. What was death death blink - has been "a rebirth."
The plane made a really steep going to be like? Was it going to Be that as it may, I stepped out on
movement to the left. It was all be just complete darkness? Or a the wing without a lifejacket. I "I view the world differently now.
going so fast. I thought maybe the bright light? Perfect clarity? Joy? already saw the ferry coming and When I came out of the door of
plane was out of control and it What was it going to be like in the it was like a dream to me. So many that plane and took that first
was over. But the pilot, who had presence of God? I believe God things went wrong. But so many breath of cold, clear air, it was a
identified himself earlier as gives us all hope even in dire things went right. An amazing new beginning. The touch of my
Captain Chesley Sullenberger, moments. It was such a blessing turn of events! wife, hugging my kids - all new,"
seemed to get control back. He to have that sense of hope and he said.
stabilized the plane. that sense of salvation. After that day, I got at least a
dozen e-mails of the drawing of Hood, already a man of strong
There was no panic. After the I pulled out my Blackberry. I the plane with God's Hands faith, has become more openly
initial gasp from everyone, it was wanted to get a message to my lowering it down - “What Really religious - and more open in
very, very quiet. I was looking children… to give them some- Happened on the Hudson River.” I general, he said.
around and listening when I heard thing to carry with them through truly believe that!
somebody on the left say, “We their lives, some sort of closure. I "I've always been a very closed
must've hit something. I saw was trying to do that as I looked Certainly for me, I came much person emotionally," said Hood,
shadows.” out the window, watching the closer to God that day. It was 49, a Marine veteran of Operation
water come close, faster and probably the only time that I've Desert Storm who now regularly
Then a little later, someone else faster. I put the Blackberry down, been intimately, truly wholly there speaks to church groups about
said, “The left engine is on fire!” closed my eyes and pleaded, and one with Him. what happened. "The nice part of
Even at this point, I wasn't terribly “God, please let me see my [From: Chicken Soup for the Soul: the experience is I was able to
worried. I figured we had two children agin.” Then, “God, this is A Book of Miracles, J Canfield, MV open up."
engines, and if need be we could going to hurt so bad.” I was Hansen, & L Thieman, 2010]. http://www.nydailynews.com
fly with just one. terrified, not necessarily of death
and what comes after that, but I
But as time passed I realized how was really worried about the pain.
quiet it was on the plane. There
was nothing but the whistling of We hit the water. The Blackberry
the wind. It dawned on me that we came up and hit me right on the
had no power! We were literally bridge of my nose, just about
gliding and we weren't very high. knocking me out. And we came to
That's when I sat bolt upright and a stop. I immediately knew we
grabbed my head. I felt a cold fear were okay.
like nothing I had ever expe-
rienced. The impact was not terribly