Do you think you could ever be as calm as Captain "Sully" Sullenberger was in this emergency?

Hadn’t heard this story… That’s pretty amazing!

As for being calm, IDK… having a definitive purpose in emergencies gives me clarity and focus. But I don’t think I’ve ever felt “calm” as part of those experiences.

I should have said, “outwardly calm.”

Oh… Well then for the most part, I think so.

One of the times I’m thinking of was when I was 16. I was out hiking with some family/friends near Yosemite when a 13 year old boy in the group got bit by a rattlesnake. I was the closest by when it happened, so before anyone could freak out and start a wasteful conversation about what to do, or what happened, etc… I immediately told him, “Be calm. Move as little as possible. Let’s get back to camp. You walking right now isn’t a good idea, so get on my back.” We made up the rest of the plan as we walked back down the mountain. Already being on our way to the solution helped calm the situation and focus everyone towards the goal instead of panic and worry.

While we walked, my dad made a swing seat out of a thick branch and some rope to put on like a backpack for him to sit on. It allowed whoever was carrying him to hold his weight with their back and legs instead of their arms, and freed your hands for balance. Then his dad carried him with that contraption while I ran ahead to get emergency services ready. Then I ran back with some park rangers who brought a stretcher and some medical stuff. When we made it back down a helicopter was waiting.

Here’s the story and some pics of the aftermath (Warning, pics are very graphic).

IDK… For me, logic seems to takes over and panic is replaced by purpose. But thinking about it now, I’m realizing I’ve actually never been in a life or death situation myself. If my own life were on the line as well, I might react differently. No real way to know…

I’m kind of a freak, the more pressure I’m under the cooler I get. My family loves it. If anything goes bad I’m the first one they turn to. It’s not so much fun to have everyone lean on me.

HOLY SHIT @Esedess! OK, never mind about the time my sister got bit by a water moccasin. I’ll never tell that story again.

Catching my breath after @Esedess pictures…

I think I’m cool under pressure too. For one example, I came around a wide curve, on a 2 lane, 65 MPH highway, and there was a car in my lane, trying to pass 4 other cars, who were nose to tail. He had nowhere to go. I could see the panic in his face. I just pulled the minivan (full of kids) onto the shoulder, like changing lanes, then pulled back in when the guy was past.
The whole thing took, maybe, 7 seconds. It wasn’t until several seconds after I pulled back on to the highway (having never changed my speed or hit my brakes) when it all hit me like WHOOSH! What we used to call a “rush” back in the day.

The kids were dead silent. For once.

However….if it had happened a few miles back, I wouldn’t have had a shoulder to move to. Not sure what I would have done. Ditched, I guess, and try to keep control.

@Dutchess_III
I know exactly what you mean. I’ve laughed at myself a few times after the fact for having such a minimal reaction to potentially fatal incidents on the road.

And yea… Those pictures are intense huh!? I didn’t know it could be that bad. It was because we were out in the wild and it took us so long to get him to medical attention. The venom actually started deteriorating his hand before we hit the bottom of the mountain… Scary as hell!! He seriously almost died.

Very intense. Just looking at it “clinically”....did the snake nail the ball of his thumb and the center of his hand?
The reconstruction was truly amazing.

It is indeed a great study of grace under fire.

On the other hand, what choice did he have?

Was he cool, brave, or simply reasonable?

Well, he had choices. Everyone always has choices. I saw an interview where he described his feelings. I remember him saying he felt, down in the pit of his stomach, raw fear, like it was going to fall through his stomach, but he set it aside.

He was everything good. The only time his voice broke, even slightly, was immediately after the bird strike and he said, “I’m heading back to LaGuardia.” His voice stressed ever so slightly on the world “LaGuardia.”

But I guess you really couldn’t be an air line pilot without a certain amount of [insert French phrase here, that sounds like “Jenny, saw Qua!” and sheer confidence.