So how do we get that Airbus 320 out of the Hudson River?

I assumed US Airways Flight 1549 would simply lie at the bottom of the Hudson River for the next 10,000 years, where it would become a home to all the fish (if there are any) that live in that river.

But apparently the plane was already fished out of the river back on January 17, which, judging from the pictures that I’ve just stumbled upon, was no small feat of engineering. How was it done?

It appears to have been lifted out of the water using heavy cables hanging from a massive crane, and it was placed on an even more massive barge. The plane was then moved to New Jersey for examination by accident investigators.

Check out all the amazing photos here.