USAirways Flight 1549 landed into the Hudson River five years ago after being struck by birds. Images of passengers exiting the plane are still reminiscent today. Fortunately, the quick-thinking ingenuity of Pilots Sully Sullenberger and Jeff Skiles led to the safe landing and rescue of the passengers aboard the plane. The passengers still remember the chain of events that led to the horrific landing and ultimate rescue.

According to Dave Sanderson, who was the final passenger to exit Flight 1549 on the fateful day, “I shouldn’t be here right now man. I mean everything was going against us. And everything turned out right. I looked out for a lifeboat and I jumped into the water and swam for the closest boat I could find. The entire movie of my life passed before my eyes. I saw when I was in little league baseball, my family, my kids were born, and then you put your head down for that last time when you’re ready for impact, and it’s like, ‘OK, I have no control. I gotta give it up.’”

During a recent interview with CBS, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III spoke about the unusual and memorable event. “We were suddenly confronted with something we hadn’t anticipated, had never specifically trained for.” Sullenberger said before adding, “We have much to be thankful for.”

Janis Krums was traveling on a commuter ferry when the flight landed on the Hudson River, and he took a picture with his iPhone before uploading to Twitter. The image is now known throughout the world and serves as an iconic depiction of the miraculous event. Krums spoke with CNN about the image that captured the attention of viewers around the world. When asked to explain the most favorite photograph that he had ever taken, Krums responded, “I would say that the Miracle on the Hudson wins by a large margin. It’s an iconic image of an incredible event. What Sully was able to accomplish is truly a miracle.”

Image Via Wikimedia Commons