( CNN ) -- Everyone aboard US Airways Flight 1549 survived when the plane crash-landed into the Hudson River , and that may be due as much to diligent rescue training as luck . Passengers and crew line up outside the plane as boats move in to rescue them . The Coast Guard rescuers who quickly got to the scene and many of the ferries and boats that first responded train for water rescues . `` We , the Coast Guard , we do train for these type of events and these type of situations , scenarios , and one thing we do try to do is try to coordinate with our other maritime agency partners [ so ] that incidents like this go off without a hitch or as safely as possible , '' said Coast Guard Lt. C.K . Moore , who helped coordinate the response . Within minutes of the plane crash-landing into the water , the aircraft was surrounded by ferry boats that had been making their regularly scheduled trips across the Hudson and other boats coordinated by , and including , the Coast Guard . The passengers had begun exiting the plane -- getting into rafts or standing on the wings . But as more people began to exit , the plane started to become submerged and passengers ' feet started getting cold . See photos of the crash and rescue . The quick response may have helped save the lives of passengers , who if not for the rescuers may have been subjected to the frigid Hudson water . It 's one of the things Moore said the Coast Guard focuses on during water rescues , especially in the winter . After only three minutes in cold water , people can lose the use of their arms and legs , according to the Oregon State Marine Board . At the time of the crash it was 21 degrees outside , the water temperature in the Hudson was 32.5 degrees and winds were blowing at 15 mph . Oregon State Marine Board : Surviving cold water immersion . Thankfully for passengers , ferry captains like Brittany Catanzaro came quickly to their rescue . Watch passengers describe what happened » . She was at the helm of a New York Waterway ferry during a normal commute across the river when she looked to her right and saw a plane in the water . `` I had to do a double-take , '' she said . But Catanzaro knew exactly what to do . She said she and her crew train each month for water rescues . `` We have to do man overboard , and we 're constantly drilling . Constantly , '' she said . `` And when something comes , you already know how to take effect and how to put everything together , so it just went very smoothly . '' Catanzaro immediately told her crew to get life jackets on , take extras to throw in the water , and prepare a cradle to help bring passengers onto the boat . The boat was the second on the scene . `` When I got there , my crew went to work and started pulling out people , '' she said . `` Some people were sighing with relief , some people were crying . It was nerve-wracking . '' In all , Catanzaro 's crew helped bring 24 people aboard . `` I was telling my crew , even if we pulled out one person , that was one more person we saved , '' she said . `` And to pull out 24 people , that 's 24 people . '' The Coast Guard was able to pluck at least 35 people from the water and wing of the plane . Catanzaro 's crew and the Coast Guard were able to take nearly half the plane 's passengers out of the Hudson . That 's a credit to their training , Moore said , which is done exactly for this scenario . `` We do train with each other from time to time to understand what each other can bring to the table when it comes to -- to search and rescue , '' he said . `` This is one of the situations where this has come to fruition , and it 's a great -- it 's a great thing to see it happen like this . ''
Coast Guard , ferry training enable quick response , rescue . Ferry captain says they drill each month for man overboard scenarios . Boats help pluck passengers off wings , out of the water . Coast Guard lieutenant : `` It 's a great thing to see it happen like this ''