The greatest fear for many people is getting into a situation where there is no control whatsoever. That's what happens every time we step on a plane. We trust the pilot, the equipment, the system. But if anything goes wrong, we can't do anything about it.
On Thursday, a US Air jet crash-landed on the Hudson River, as you know. Ordinarily, many people would have died, but this is no ordinary story, ladies and gentlemen. This is a miracle.
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No. 1: the pilot, 57-year-old Chesley Sullenberger, who is also a glider, an expert in landing aircrafts without engines. The odds of that happening, about a trillion to one.
Two: Nobody on the plane panicked. Another trillion to one shot.
Three: The plane didn't sink. It could have.
Four: Rescue workers were there in less than five minutes. That happened because after the 9/11 attack all New York City responders underwent rigorous training.
So do the math. If that's not miraculous, nothing is. Listen to those in the middle of it:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHEPARD SMITH, FOX NEWS: The news breaking in New York City, a U.S. Airways jet, which is down in the Hudson River in New York City.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The left engine blew, which was about two rows in front of where I was sitting, and there was a lot of fire coming out the left engine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're just going to continue to make sure that everybody's — there's nobody else on the plane and there's nobody out where the original crash site was.
UIDENTIFIED MALE: Step back, folks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the plane just bounced over the water, like they landed it on the water.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There were people standing on the wings and boats and helicopters and all of that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put him in the car right now. Put them in the car. Keep him warm.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay together.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were all just kind of wondering what was really going on because you just never prepare for something like this and…
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For a second I just thought that I was going to die right there in the plane, you know. I was just going to drown to death.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All he kept repeating was I can't believe that I'm here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Right off to the boat. Send them right off to the boat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The plane was sitting in the water. It had miraculously been ditched.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lay yourself down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw that they just lost an engine. I looked down and I saw flames coming out from underneath the left wing, and I said, all right, this isn't good.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was coming low, too low, and all of a sudden it just hit the water.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So this has been a first-rate immediate response by our fire department, police department, our ambulance corps. This is New York at its best right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We heard a big pop, and the pop was big, and it smelled, and you could smell it, and there was a fire behind us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We said oh my God, this guy is falling in the river.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People we treated so far only had mild, at worst, hypothermia. So you know, it just speaks to how the coordinated effort of the flight crew to set the plane down softly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some of them were really bad, really, really cold, shivering.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You think that your plane might explode or you may drown.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh no.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was terrifying.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you feeling right now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm exhausted.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I looked up and said to my deckhand, that's an odd looking boat. He goes, I think that's an airplane.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good job.
N.Y. GOV. DAVID PATERSON: We've had a “Miracle on 34th Street.” I believe now we've had a miracle on the Hudson.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Again, religious people will chalk this up as a miracle. Secular people will say it's an amazing coincidence. I'm in the first category, and I'm just happy somebody up there is looking out for those folks.
And that's “The Memo.”
Pinheads & Patriots
In Houston, Texas, 10-year-old Eric Kelley was hit by a car while riding his bike. Incredibly, Eric got stuck underneath the car, which was trying to flee the scene. That's when his friend, 9-year-old Ruben Nuncio, pulled Eric to safety and carried him over his shoulder all the way home. Eric's a bigger boy.
The hit-and-run driver sped away. Police have found the car and believe they will have an arrest shortly. We hope so. The most important thing is that Ruben is a patriot and a hero.
On the pinhead front, Boy George should listen up and be more like Ruben Nuncio. The 47-year-old singer has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for tying up some guy and trying to abuse him. Boy George is a pinhead and has been for years. Enjoy the slammer.
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