New York City, New York : Miracle on the Hudson
- nagai808
- Jan 16
- 5 min read
At approximately 3:25 p.m. on January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 took off from New York's LaGuardia Airport, carrying 155 passengers and crew. However, shortly after takeoff, while still flying at a low altitude of just 850 meters, a bird strike caused a complete loss of thrust in both engines. Naturally, the flight was impossible, and the altitude was insufficient to turn and return to LaGuardia. Attempting to return would have resulted in a crash into downtown New York. Despite the dire situation, the experienced and capable pilot remained calm and made a decision that would later be lauded: to make an emergency landing on the Hudson River, which flows between New York and New Jersey. After the pilot successfully completed the emergency landing, the New York City Police Department's dive unit and a private ferry operating on the Hudson River rushed to the scene and rescued all passengers and crew.
While watching the American film “Sully” (2016), which depicts this miraculous true event, I couldn't help but exclaim, "Whoa!" at one scene. One of the seven ferries that rushed to the scene on the Hudson River was named after a man who had a major impact on my life. That ferry's name was “Yogi Berra”
When I was eight years old, I watched a New York Yankees game live at the stadium when they came to Japan in 1955. That experience sparked my lifelong interest in Major League Baseball, and among the Yankees who came to Japan was Yogi Berra (who passed away in 2015 at the age of 90), a legendary catcher who remains a shining light in the history of Major League Baseball. Yogi Berra played amazingly and fascinated me.
By the way, the script for this movie is really brilliant. There's no way a non-existent ferry would appear in such a movie. But just to be sure, I looked it up on the Internet and found that a ferry named Yogi Berra did exist.
It was the summer of 2017. I visited New York City for the first time in a while, and my main purpose was to get on the “Yogi Berra”. I'm sure there will be people who will nitpick and say, "What's the point of getting on the Yogi Berra?" To such nitpickers, I can only answer, "There's no point. But I want to get on it."
So, after arriving in New York City, I called NY WATERWAY, the company that owns the “Yogi Berra”, to find out what time and where I should be to board the “Yogi Berra”. The person who answered the phone was very kind, but...
I went to Pier 79 at 1:30, bought a ticket, and decided to wait while chatting with a young white woman who was working as a guide near the ticket counter.
"I'm a tourist from Japan, and I was surprised at how few people use the ferry,"
The woman replied with a smile.
"Many people use the ferry for work, so it's quiet at this time of day. It gets quite crowded in the mornings and evenings."
However, when I told her that I was an avid Major League Baseball fan and had bought a ticket to get on the “Yogi Berra”, the lady said "Wait a minute," and began to operate her computer seriously. What? After finishing her operations, the lady explained with an apologetic look on her face.
All ferry routes operate on schedule, but the ferries that operate on each route are subject to change. The Yogi Berra's route for that day had also changed. However, I was told that if I went to Pier 11 and took the 3:30 ferry to a town in New Jersey on the other side of the Hudson River, I could return to Pier 11 on the Yogi Berra, which departs from that town at 4:03.
I hurried in a taxi from Pier 79 to Pier 11, which is quite far, and took the 3:30 ferry. However, when I arrived in the town in New Jersey, the 4:03 ferry was not the “Yogi Berra”. It had changed again. But I wasn’t going to give up just because of something like this, and I decided that I would keep trying until I was able to get on the “Yogi Berra”.
There are three routes from that city to New York City. If I wait for the last ferry on all three routes, the “Yogi Berra” might arrive. I resolved to wait until after 1 a.m.
But after about 20 minutes of waiting, a "miracle" happened.
An intelligent-looking middle-aged man wearing a neat suit came up to me. He introduced himself as someone from the ferry company and said,
"The Yogi Berra you wish to take will be arriving soon. You can take it and return to New York. The Yogi Berra will definitely be arriving this time. As an exception, this time you can take the Yogi Berra without a ticket."
I was surprised, but at the same time, I was very happy and touched.
The young female guide at Pier 79 must have been concerned about me and informed the company about my circumstances, appearance, and clothing, and the company must have checked the Yogi Berra's operating status. The man had then gone out of his way to find me.
I replied,
"Thank you for your kind consideration. However, I have already purchased tickets for all three routes to New York, so I will use my tickets to get on the Yogi Berra. Which route is the upcoming Yogi Berra?"
The man looked a little surprised, then smiled.
As we parted, I looked him in the eye, expressed my gratitude, and shook his hand.
And so, I was finally able to get on the long-awaited “Yogi Berra” and returned to Pier 11 in New York.
When US Airways Flight 1549 made an emergency water landing in the Hudson River, a company called NY Waterway did an amazing job rescuing the passengers and crew. They also made an amazing effort to allow me to get on the “Yogi Berra”. I am extremely grateful to this company.
Now, let me honestly write down what I thought after finally getting on the Yogi Berra. Other than its name, there is nothing about the Yogi Berra that makes it different from other ferries. So, I have to admit that the only thing that made it special was that I was on a ferry named Yogi Berra. For example, there was no difference between the ferry I took from Pier 11 heading to the city in New Jersey and the Yogi Berra, and the skyscrapers of New York City looked the same from both ferries. That's only natural, isn't it?
Still, I was very happy to be on a ferry named after someone who had a major impact on my life.
Finally, I'd like to mention one more thing. There were also ferries named after well-known presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln. I was happy to see that Yogi Berra, the man who had a major impact on my life, was being treated equally with these great presidents.
(If I 've made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I 'll try to make corrections or additions.)