Captain 'Sully' Sullenberger delivers heartbreaking message on first TV appearance since Alzheimer's diagnosis

Capitan 'Sully' Sullenberger has urged people to get tested as he delivered a heartbreaking message during his first TV interview since being diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Sully, also known as the 'Miracle on the Hudson', successfully landed US Airways Flight 1549, a commercial aircraft on New York's Hudson River in 2009 after the plane suffered a duel engine failure.

Everyone onboard survived the shunt in an incredible story which was depicted in the 2016 movie Sully.

Some 17 years on from his heroic efforts, Sully is speaking about his Alzheimer's diagnosis after he was diagnosed with the disease in August 2025.

The 75-year-old announced in July that he had an early stage of Alzheimer's, with a statement on his website reading: "Lorrie and I often said we won the baby lottery with our two daughters. And we have learned what people say is actually true: that grandchildren are a game changer. Our granddaughter gives a whole new meaning to life.

"With that said, I recently found out I have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. It is 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."

Speaking in a preview clip for an interview set to air on Good Morning America on Wednesday (September 23), Sully said his 'diagnosis will not prevent me from looking forward to and appreciating our future'.

Sitting alongside his wife Lorrie, Sully said: "I think we began to notice that I was changing in the few years before that."

Meanwhile, Lorrie added: "That's part of why we wanted to do the interview today because a lot of what I think people see in the news are late stage Alzheimer's symptoms.

"In the very beginning, they are so subtle. It's what's unusual for your person."

Sully then went on to say it's crucial to spot the signs of Alzheimer's early, as he added: "Early diagnosis is so critically important. If you have doubts, get tested because the sooner you act, the more options there are, the better the outcome is likely to be."

Earlier this year, Sully revealed that he decided to go public with his diagnosis because he hopes that 'other families living in the shadows with this disease will feel they too can step forward'.

The famed pilot added: "Though it may impact my memory of the past, this diagnosis will not prevent me from looking forward to and appreciating our future. I will navigate this chapter with my wonderful family by my side.

"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.

"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."

If you've been affected by dementia or Alzheimer's and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact the Alzheimer's Association via 800.272.3900 open 24 hours seven days a week.