Deadliest Amtrak Crash Reported

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-EMERGENCYNET NEWS SVC.-09/23/92-0800CDT

DEADLIEST TRAIN CRASH IN AMTRAK HISTORY KILLS 44

Saraland, AL - The worst train crash in Amtrak history took the lives of at least forty-four (44) people early Wednesday morning. The derailment and bridge collapse occurred in a very remote area North of Mobile, Alabama near the small town of Saraland, Alabama. The Amtak Sunset Limited reportedly plunged into the Connor Creek Bayou at a few minutes after 3:00 a.m. The site of the tragedy is only accessible by helicopter or boat.

Although the exact details of the crash are still under intensive investigation, survivors described the devastating event as a combination of falling, explosion, fire, and being thrown under water. According to witnesses, the train was proceeding normally across the eighty-year-old train bridge when a loud noise was heard. They then described a "falling feeling" and heard a large explosion. Within seconds, a large orange fireball was seen to engulf the area, presumably as one of the locomotives, propelling the train, blew up. Next the lucky survivors found themselves in the water or in a car that was rapidly filling with water. The bayou, into which the train plunged, was said to be about twelve (12) feet deep.

Shortly thereafter, heros like Michael Dopheide, 26 year old law school graduate, help dozens of people from the submerged cars. Chaos reigned as numerous retired people attempted to escape both the flames and water. Passengers helped each other by forming lines and passing people, hand to hand, to the shore. Others clung to large pieces of debris in the alligator and snake infested bayou that flows from the Mobile river. Aside from penlights and one person's small pocket flashlight, the only light that was available to help the rescuers was the burning glow of the Amtrak engine that had exploded.

As the first calls for help went out, it quickly became evident that the Saraland bridge wasn't easily accessible by roads; there were none nearby. Rescuers had to access the helicopter and boat. The U.S. Coast Guard was alerted, and H-60 helicopters that are normally used for Rescue on the Gulf of Mexico were diverted to the rescue effort. Pilots and flight medics said that they were hampered in their initial efforts due to the fact that it was extremely dark, the sky surrounding the area was filled with dense smoke created by burning diesel oil used by the locomotives, and there was no place to land the helicopters.

According to survivors, it may have been as much as forty-five to fifty (45-50) minutes before anyone arrived at the scene to begin the rescue efforts. Reportedly, the first units at the incident were the crew of a Coast Guard helicopter. Coast Guard Lt. Robin Stearrett was quoted by the Washington Post as saying, " There was smoke and fire everywhere . . . one train car was totally underwater . . . it was obvious that there were going to be injuries . . . it was devastating . . . it was the most catastrophic wreck I have ever seen". It remains unclear whether the train was on fire prior to entering the water, largely because no members of the lead engine train crew have been found alive.

Rescuers were dispatched from several nearby jurisdictions, many bringing boats of various descriptions to the scene. A command and control point was reportedly established at the Scott Paper Co. parking lot, which was located three miles downstream from the actual crash site. The paper company also dispatched two work barges to the site, which were used to act as dive platforms and to store the recovered bodies of the deceased. Pictures taken by local television stations showed the bodies of several people, lined up on the barges, waiting to be taken to a temporary morgue that was established at a nearby local lumber company. A Coast Guard spokesperson said that within thirty (30) minutes of activation that the Coast Guard had eight (8) helicopters and six (6) boats enroute to the scene.

Early reports said that there were many survivors, but didn't ascertain the number of fatalities. Helicopter crew members described the perilous process of extracting people from the water by wench, in a dangerous, dark, and smokey environment. As boats began to arrive on the scene, they said that many people were clinging to various objects in the water. Several passengers reportedly assisted others to swim to the shore. One survivor described several passengers forming a "human chain" that was passing children and elderly to the safety of the shore.

Shortly, it became evident that rescue divers would be needed to enter the cars that were partially or totally submerged. Divers were requested from several emergency agencies, and more than twenty soon arrived on the scene. Divers that were already working described the work as "tedious and demanding", as they moved foot-by-foot, searching through the murky water that filled the coaches. Everything had to be done by touch, due to the fact that the water of the bayou was filled with mud and silt. The divers reported finding victims still strapped into their seats, and another trapped in a locked bathroom. They also lamented the deaths of children, found frozen in the horrible positions of their deaths.

Soon the Mobile County Sheriff's Flotilla was activated and dozens of volunteer boaters and rescue divers began to arrive on the scene. Local fisherman were pressed into service, and soon the crash site was surrounded by dozens of boats. Volunteers began to appear on the banks bordering the bayou. Seemingly, everyone that heard about the tragedy had come to help. Emergency medical service (EMS) personnel and ambulances were dispatched from every nearby community. Reportedly, some emergency agencies were delayed in their response, due to the remoteness of the accident site and confusion in communications between those on-site and those still responding.

EMT's and Paramedics from the Mobile Fire Department and other agencies described the victims as "unbelievably calm", considering the magnitude of the incident. Numerous reports of passengers helping passengers continued to be received. Medics described the passengers as suffering from a variety of injuries, including joint, head, neck, and back pains. Others were described as suffering from exposure, having spent an extended period in the water. Still others were reportedly dazed and in shock. Some patients were also described as having burns and smoke inhalation. Helicopters began ferrying the injured to local hospitals.

By 8:00 a.m. and full sunlight, it was obvious that several people were still missing and that there were numerous fatalities. The grim task of body recovery began, as most of the living were already transported to a number of hospitals. One hundred and thirty seven (137) people were found essentially unhurt and loaded on another train that Amtrak brought to a site adjacent to the crash site. Ten (10) people, including the crew of the lead locomotive, were still thought to be missing. The search went on all day, with hundreds of rescuers and support personnel participating. As the end of the rescue occurred, the investigation of the cause began in earnest.