Junior Among Rescuers On the Scene of Today's Plane Crash in the Hudson River

January 15, 2009

January 15, 2009, Greencastle, Ind. — DePauw University junior Megan Soultz -- who is spending this Winter Term interning with the New York City Fire Department -- was among the rescue personnel sent to the Hudson River this afternoon after US Airways Flight 1549 crashed shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport. Interviewed by telephone on CBS affiliate WISH-TV's 11 p.m. newscast, Soultz describes her role at the accident scene as largely "observational" as there "wasn't much hands-on work to do." [Download Video: "See WISH Segment" - 927kb]

A total of 150 passengers, three flight attendants and two pilots were on board the jetliner when it went down in the river. All were safely pulled from the icy waters.

Soultz tells the station, "Most of the patients were slightly hypothermic, they were just a little bit too cold just obviously from being in the water, being outside for that period of time."

WISH anchor Eric Halvorson added, "So the junior from DePauw says the medical team really didn't have to do much more than keep the passengers warm and dry. Megan said she's amazed by the organization of the emergency response and by the heroic actions of the pilot." (photo at right: Janis Krums)

The Airbus A320, which was bound for Charlotte, N.C., apparently struck a flock of birds minutes after taking off, disabling the engines.

More on the accident can be found in this Associated Press report.

Megan Soultz is a star pitcher on the DePauw softball team. Last spring she was named one of 11 finalists for the Honda Division III Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and was also a first team All-America choice and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year after posting a 36-4 record with a 0.98 earned run average.

Learn more in this previous story.

Source: WISH (CBS)/Indianapolis

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