New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is calling it “another miracle on the Hudson” after a small plane crash-landed on the icy Hudson River Monday night—and both people on board survived.

In a post on X, Hochul publicly thanked God after the pilot and his lone passenger escaped with only minor injuries following the frightening ordeal near the Newburgh Beacon Bridge.

“Another miracle on the Hudson. Thank God both the pilot and passenger of a single-engine plane that performed an ice landing near Newburgh have been located with only minor injuries,” Hochul wrote. “Grateful to our first responders for their quick actions.”

The dramatic incident unfolded around 8:04 p.m. when emergency responders received reports of a plane crash in the Hudson River. The Middle Hope Fire Department said in a Facebook statement that multiple agencies rushed to the scene, but initially struggled to locate the aircraft.

“On arrival, units were initially unable to locate the aircraft in the water at the reported location,” the department explained. “After a few minutes of searching the area by several first responders, the plane was ultimately located within the City of Newburgh.”

By the time rescuers found the plane, however, the two occupants had already managed to escape the aircraft and swim to shore despite the freezing water.

“The occupants were able to safely extricate themselves and swim to shore,” the department said.

Both the pilot and passenger were evaluated by Town of Newburgh Emergency Medical Services before being transported to St. Luke’s Hospital for further care. Authorities later confirmed the aircraft was a single-engine Cessna.

According to New York State Police, the pilot had been communicating with Stewart International Airport shortly before the crash. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are now working to determine the cause of the emergency.

A recording of the pilot’s mayday call, obtained by News 12, reveals the tense moments leading up to the crash landing.

“We’ve lost our engine,” the pilot said over the radio. “We’re going to go into the Hudson River. I don’t think we’re going to make the airport.”

Despite the terrifying situation, first responders praised the pilot for remaining calm and handling the emergency with remarkable composure.

“An absolute hats off job by the pilot of the aircraft last night,” the Middle Hope Fire Department said in a follow-up statement. “Despite losing the engine, he remained calm throughout the event.”

Officials said the pilot provided clear details to emergency personnel during the crisis and successfully guided the aircraft through what the department described as an “unorthodox descent” into the river.

Carrie Massari-Carey, assistant chief at the Town of Newburgh Emergency Medical Services, told The New York Post that responders eventually found the pilot and passenger inside a nearby waterfront warehouse after they reached shore.

“The pilot was making jokes to us about the clothes he was wearing because they had taken clothes from the warehouse that weren’t theirs — obviously to get out of the wet clothes,” Massari-Carey said. “They were definitely in good spirits.”

She admitted the situation left many responders stunned.

“I think seeing the plane in the water, seeing the patients come out and being as stable as they were for me was pretty shocking,” she said. “I think everybody was pretty shocked, honestly. Just thankful that they were alive.”

Hochul’s reference to a “miracle on the Hudson” echoes the famous 2009 emergency landing when Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger safely landed a passenger jet in the Hudson River after both engines failed following a bird strike. All 155 people on board survived that historic incident.

For many observers, Monday night’s crash landing serves as another reminder of how quickly tragedy can turn into testimony—and how, sometimes, survival feels nothing short of miraculous.