Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger III, known as the pilot who saved a plethora of lives on a stricken airliner in a New York City river in 2009, has announced he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
The 75 year old revealed this news regarding his diagnosis on his personal website, saying that he was recently diagnosed with the disease and it is at an early stage.
"For now, this means a name may not come easily to me, I forget a story I have recently told, or I don't sleep as well, but I am in the beginning of this long journey", he said.
He went on to say that his Alzheimer's diagnosis "has challenged what it means to be of service" and that he has found "the answer is to speak up" about the disease.
"Over the years, when people would ask about the successful outcome of Flight 1549, I would say that 'courage can be contagious,' and on that day it helped everyone band together to get everyone off that airplane successfully", he added.
"Now we need that courage to battle this disease. I am now part of a larger community with many of you, and we will be courageous together".
Back on 15 January 2009, Sullenberger was credited with saving the lives of his passengers after the US Airways Flight 1549 had come down in the Hudson River, after both engines were disabled in a collision with a flock of geese shortly after take-off. Thankfully, all 155 people on board the aircraft survived, with Sullenberger's actions credited with saving people's lives that day, thanks to his quick thinking and composure in a pressurised environment.
Prior to Flight 1549, Captain Sullenberger had been flying for 40 years, before retiring in 2010. He has continued to advocate for aviation safety ever since.
His heroic exploits were also made into a film titled, 'Sully', starring Tom Hanks.
