Dave Sanderson
Miracle on the Hudson
By Henry Bostic
 
                        
Yes, there are still miracles. And, yes, they can happen to you. But more important, when they occur they can build not only your faith in God but shine as proof to others of God's grace and power.
 
That was the message Charlottean Dave Sanderson brought to Charlotte Rotary on Tuesday. Sanderson and 154 other disparate individuals together survived the January 15 crash landing of U.S. Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River between Manhattan and New Jersey. And it's a message, he gladly takes to congregations and other venues since that fateful day in the New York harbor.
 
The Oracle employee who flies more than 100,000 miles a year says he is truly "blessed" by the experience that has made his Christian faith even stronger. That it happened as it did is "miraculous." And, he says, his experiences have changed others lives as well. He also came away from the life-altering experience with a stronger belief in the power of teamwork, the strength of a strong mindset and, of course, the power of faith.
The entire experience from take off, to crash landing to ending up in the hospital took "only 28 minutes," he related, still admitting that so much could happen in such a short period.
 
He was not even scheduled to be on the plane but finished his work early in the city and gave up a first class seat on a later plane so he could get home earlier to see his wife and four children. As usual, he said, he didn't read the card containing safety information, just put away his briefcase and buried his face in a magazine.
 
Sitting in a window seat, he heard what we now know is a bird strike in both engines, and saw flames in the left engine. "It got my attention but I thought we'd simply circle back to LaGuardia with the other engine."
 
There was no panic. "No one said a word. But I'm sure there would have been panic if folks on the left side of the plane had been talking to folks on the right. This would not have happened without God's grace."
 
The plane's two pilots each had more than 19,000 hours flying experience. One was a certified glider pilot. They had to maintain a speed of 155 miles per hour and clear the George Washington Bridge before setting the plane down in the Hudson. "We cleared the bridge by 300 feet. God was with this plane."
 
"Brace for impact" were the only words the pilot said; Sanderson noted that if he'd said more there probably would have been "more panic."
 
The member of Providence Road United Methodist Church said he prayed for three things: the pilots' skills, that one of his clients would call his wife and for "Jesus to forgive my sins. I didn't want to check in upstairs and everything not be right." He got his wallet out of his brief case so "they would know who I was" and braced.
 
They hit hard, rear first at 150 miles per hour. Water did begin to come in the rear quickly; someone opened the rear exit. The overhead bins did disgorge their contents and the seats collapsed. "That's how most people got out of the plane so quickly. They walked on the backs of the seats." The floor lights didn't come one. It was dark and lots of stuff was floating in the water which quickly rose to waist depth. He said he didn't really feel the cold because of the adrenalin. Sanderson was the last out, he said, because he checked to see if there were other passengers, particularly women and children, and because he didn't want to get "trampled."
 
Then another miracle happened, he said. All of the ferries and tugs came out. "We could not have been in a better place." The first responders were able to safely rescue the survivors because they were so close.
 
There were lots of obstacles. The temperature was 11 degrees. Water temperature was 36 degrees and it was full of jet fuel. The plan was sinking. The current was very strong. In 20 minutes the plane was swept a half mile further down the river.
 
A woman with her baby was holding up other passengers, and then another miracle happened, Sanderson said. She was convinced to hand the baby to another woman. "Unless she moved, nothing was going to happen. She's a real hero."
 
Sanderson said he began to think about the Titanic and the possibility of getting sucked in to the river when the plane sank so he finally jumped and swam to a nearby tug. He thanked his parents for insisting that he learn to swim as a child, noting that his kids are all getting swimming lessons this summer.
 
He said he didn't know how he did it but he was able to swim to the tug and get on board with the help of two "angels." "There are times in your life when you have to cash in all your skills and beliefs to get it done."
 
Another passenger with an I-phone let him make a call to his wife in which he said "I've been in a plane crash." (They still have the message saved.) His wife was at the church and the associate pastor who wasn't supposed to be there prayed with her. Another miracle.
 
In two to three minutes he was in Weehawken, NJ, where he was triaged: he was stripped of his wet clothing down to his underwear and given a blanket. He was interviewed and a tag put on his toe which caused him to wonder, "Am I dead?" No, it was just a way to keep up with all the passengers.
 
Sanderson was sent by ambulance with another passenger to Palisades Medical Center in Bergen, NJ, with trouble breathing. It was there he had his first contact with the media as cameras recorded his transfer to the ambulance.
There nurses finally had to cut and rip off his underwear which was frozen to his body. "I still have the scars," he quipped. His blood pressure was 190/120, his oxygen level at 75 percent and his core body temperature was 94 degrees. It took five hours to get his core temperature back to normal.
 
An AP photographer was even able to get his picture in the hospital emergency room. "It's amazing what they do," he said. And that was just the beginning of his media journey. Because he and his fellow passenger on the ambulance were the only ones hospitalized, they became the targets of the media. He was interviewed by Katie Couric on the CBS Morning Show and the other passenger went to ABC.
 
He was also interviewed by the New Jersey governor, the head of the NJ state police, the Bergin police, the Port Authority, Homeland Security, the FBI and others. They were all concerned about the crash having been a terrorist attack. The Port Authority left his card saying, "Call me if you need anything."
 
He still had not spoken to his wife. She didn't see him on CBS but his parents-in-law did and finally at 11 p.m. he spoke with her. She was "freaking out" because the Charlotte media were at their house. She had to deal with all of that by herself."
 
After his Good Morning America interview, Sanderson wanted to leave on a 10 a.m. flight from La Guardia, but he was in New Jersey. How did he get to the airport in time? He called the man from the Port Authority who'd left the card and got a police escort through Manhattan and made it in plenty of time.
 
The flight home was fairly uneventful. He did speak to the U.S. Airways crew before leaving New York. He did get a signal from the pilot when they reached 3,200 feet (the maximum height of the flight the day before). It only took 60 seconds. He was not recognized on the flight until 80 miles from Charlotte when his row mate opened USA TODAY and recognized him.
 
He was met in Charlotte by his family and the Red Cross, in the person of Club member Pam Jefsen, head of the local American Red Cross. One of the Red Cross's jobs is to have a volunteer with plane crash families and survivors when they board and deplane. Jefsen, who has herself survived a plane crash, has since become good friends with Sanderson, whom she introduced to Rotary.
 
As a result of his experience, Sanderson has spoken to many groups about his experience and his faith. He cited several examples where individuals who have heard him speak have commented that their faith has been bolstered or confirmed by the miracles he cites from his experiences.
 
Sanderson said that his minister recently preached about some of Jesus' last words as recorded in Acts 1:8 (New International Version): "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
 
"'Dave," the minister said, "is physical evidence of this."
     
   
Head Table: Bill Bartee, Wells Van Pelt, Mac McCarley, Pam Jefsen, John Mahaffey, Bill Clyde;
Invocation: Alex Browning;
Visitors & Guests: Herb Harriss; Health & Happiness: Elsie Garner; Song & Piano: Thomas Moore; Photos: Bert Voswinkel

• Cecily Durrett is helping care for her mother, who was just diagnosed with a blood clot in her leg; David Zimmerman is putting a few volunteers in place to help him visit the Charlotte area clubs to promote the all club meeting that will be held September 29 at the Blake Hotel; Dick Reiling and Alan Barnhardt had viewpoints published in The Observer Forum.
          
• Phil Volponi recognized several club members for reaching Paul Harris Fellow in their donations to The Rotary Foundation: Alex Browning, Lynn Wheeler, Mary Ciminelli, Alice Harrison, Tom Templeton, David Erdman and Tom Bartholomy. Edwin Peacock gave a recap of an interview with Bill Gates, Sr. that can be found on page 40 of the July issue of Rotarian Magazine. Mr. Gates talks about raising Bill, Jr. and his involvement with Rotary International and their efforts to eradicate Polio. You will want to take time to read this informative article.
 
• Lamar Thomas still needs a host family for Annie Slevarenska, who arrives August 15th from the Czech Republic. If you are in the Myers Park school district or know anyone that may be interested in hosting Annie, please contact Lamar or Luther Moore.
 
• Biff Virkler has scheduled July 23 as the next date to tour the NC Research Campus. This will be the same format as last month's tour - lunch at Café 46 at 11:45 followed by the tour. The facility has requested a group of no larger than 25. Please notify the Rotary office if you would like to be included. If you are unable to make the July tour, he has also scheduled September 30.

Should you question the eligibility of any nominee, contact the Rotary office by 06/29/2009.

Frequently, friends ask whether Rotarians receive special business benefits from their Rotary membership. Should Rotarians expect a special discount or some preferential service just because they are dealing with a fellow Rotarian? The answer is clearly "no." The RI Manual of Procedure expressly states the Rotary position on this matter. The policy, originally approved by the RI board of Directors in 1933, is that in business and professional relations "a Rotarian should not expect, and far less should a Rotarian ask for, more consideration or advantages from a fellow Rotarian than the latter would give to any other business or professional associate…Any use of the fellowship of Rotary as a means of gaining an advantage or profit is contrary to the spirit of Rotary."
 
On the other hand, if new or increased business comes as the natural result of friendship created in Rotary, it is the same normal development that takes place outside of Rotary as well as inside, so it is not an infringement on the ethics of Rotary membership. It is important to remember that the primary purpose of Rotary membership is to provide each member with a unique opportunity to serve others, and membership is not intended as a means for personal profit or special privileges.