Sink or Swim: Life After Crash Landing in the Hudson

by Karin Rooney

Karin Rooney had always been a bit of a nervous flyer when she and her boyfriend, Chris, decided to take a vacation to New York City. When she and Chris returned to the airport to catch their flight home to Colorado that cold January day in 2009, she had no idea of the drastic turn their lives were about to take. Shortly after takeoff when Karin and Chris boarded Flight #1549, Karin heard The Noise and felt the plane shake. Chris tried to calm Karin's fears, but he also knew that something had gone horribly wrong. As the plane began a 180-turn, Karin prayed, "God, protect our plane. Gently lay our plane down. Put your angels above, below, in front and behind our plane." A voice on the intercom interrupted her prayers. " Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain. Brace for impact. " Sink or Swim is Karin's riveting story of the day that Flight #1549 crashed into the Hudson River with Captain Sully Sullenberger at the helm, and of the miraculous survival of 155 people. Karin describes how the plane crash left her with PTSD but that through God's grace and trauma counseling, along with the passage of time, she has learned to face the day that changed her forever. Sink or Swim illustrates how challenging life can be when needing to heal from trauma. The good news is that Karin eventually experienced healing and now her passion is to help those affected by trauma, as well as to also help families and caregivers understand how to be a support to those touched by traumatic events.

160 pages, Paperback

Published December 21, 2017

Reviews

[Rob Rehburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick and easy read about Karin Rooney’s experience in the famous US Airways Flight 1549 crash landing in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009.

Written with Jessie Santala, Karin describes the crash landing in enough detail to paint the mental picture for the reader. However, the book’s primary focus is really on the details of Karin’s life leading up to the fateful day, and more importantly on the events, thoughts, feelings, and coping that she has endured since.

What’s particularly interesting is that even though almost all of her readership will have never experienced anything like what she went through in the crash, many readers will be able to relate to her fears, anxieties, stresses, and thoughts about life anyway. And her words are encouraging.

Karin and Jessie made sure to emphasize messages of faith and hope, which will provide encouragement and support to their readers, while telling a story that is both terrifying and fascinating at the same time.

I found the book to be a page-turner and I enjoyed learning more about this event. I like that it did not seem to drone on in any way, though some of the overarching ideas were repeated consistently throughout.

I recommend this book if you are looking for a fast read with an interesting story that will provide you with inspiration and encouragement.

[Jacob Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! This is a great book that is relatable to all despite not having been in a plane wreck.