US Airways pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger saved 155 lives today, despite the villainous efforts of some geese.

Having spent the the last 40 years in the sky, the veteran pilot is being hailed as a hero for landing Flight 1549 safely on the Hudson River, a stone's throw from Manhattan. A "double bird strike" was cited for the loss of the plane's engines, which forced Sullenberger to make a perfect emergency water landing only minutes after leaving La Guardia Airport. New York mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke to Sully after the ordeal, and said he did a "masterful job."

We'd just like to take this opportunity to applaud Sullenberger, a former Air Force fighter pilot, for achieving the highest levels of mantasticness with his actions. Not only did he prove himself worthy of the utmost regard, he also has a sweet 'stache.

Click here to see other amazing rescues after the jump.

Amazing Rescues

    Jesús García Corona was a Mexican railroad engineer who was killed trying to keep a train loaded with dynamite from exploding near Nacozari de García, Sonora, in 1907. García drove the train at full-steam six kilometers out of the town before the dynamite exploded, killing him and 12 other railwaymen and bystanders, but sparing the population of the mining town.

    lajornada

    Prinsendam Rescue A fire broke out on the Dutch cruise vessel Prinsendam off Ketchikan, Alaska on 4 October 1980. The Prinsendam was 130 miles from the nearest airstrip. The cruise ship's captain ordered the ship abandoned and the passengers, many elderly, left the ship in the lifeboats. Coast Guard and Canadian helicopters and the cutters Boutwell, Mellon, and Woodrush responded in concert with other vessels in the area. The passenger vessel later capsized and sank. The rescue is particularly important because of the distance traveled by the rescuers, the coordination of independent organizations and the fact that all 520 passengers and crew and crew were rescued without loss of life or serious injury.

    AP

    Coast Guard's Hurricane Katrina effort Search and rescue operations alone saved 24,135 lives from imminent danger, usually off the roofs of the victims' homes as flood waters lapped at their feet. Coast Guardsmen "evacuated to safety" 9,409 patients from local hospitals. In total, 33,545 souls were saved. Seventy-six Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary aircraft took part in the rescues. They flew 1,817 sorties with a total flight time of 4,291.3 hours in the air. The air crews saved 12,535. A total of 42 cutters and 131 small boats also participated, with their crews rescuing 21,200. Over 5,000 Coast Guardsmen served in Katrina operations.

    Eric Gay, AP

    36-hour distress call pays off and saves ships passengers ...

    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/rescue/peopleevents/pandeAMEX90.html

    hamradio.arc.nasa.gov

    Man saves climber left for dead on Everest ...

    http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/273360_climber09.html

    Binod Joshi, AP

    During WWII, US airmen protected by Yugoslavian peasants for 66 days before they could be airlifted.

    http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/sep/01/soldier-recounts-wwii-rescue/

    AP

    Dolphins rescue whales ...

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23588063/

    WSPA / AP

    Columbian military dupes Farc rebels and rescues 15 hostages ...

    http://warandhealth.com/colombian-hostage-rescue-could-of-been-discovered-by-a-single-internet-search/

    Colombian Army / AP

    Man saves convulsing man from being run over by subway train ...

    http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/03/nyregion/03life.html

    NBC / AP

    Firefighters rescue a man from the edge of Niagara Falls ...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=386a4-Ch7Nw

    youtube.com