Wolf Point Men Help Passengers After Amtrak Derailment
During a time of crisis, two Wolf Point men used their military leadership experience to make sure the best possible outcome could be achieved.
Daniel Hutchinson and his son, Joshua Hutchinson, were passengers on the westbound Amtrak Empire Builder on Saturday, Sept. 25, when it derailed near Joplin. The derailment resulted in three deaths and is the deadliest railroad accident in the United States since 2017.
Daniel Hutchinson said he didn’t noticed anything different about the train ride prior to the derailment.
“We hit a few rough spots where the rail was a little rougher, that’s all.”
The Hutchinsons were on their way to Seattle, Wash., to visit Daniel’s granddaughter.
When he felt the train leaving the tracks, Daniel was concerned that if it turned on his side, his window seat will be filled with a lot of gravel. Because of that worry, he slide onto the floor and braced himself.
“I heard everybody catching their breath and holding it,” Daniel said. “But there wasn’t any screaming.”
Once the train stopped, some people questioned what happened. Daniel explained it was an derailment.
Daniel, who spent 16 years in submarines for the U.S. Navy, then asked passengers in that car if anybody was injured or do you see anybody that is injured. He then told passengers to gather their things and move toward the exit.
“I didn’t mean to take charge,” Daniel said. “I did what I thought needed to be done.”
He noted that their car was the last one standing upright, but it was at a 20-degree angle. Because of that challenge, younger individuals helped some older people out of the train. Two women were trapped in the lower portion of the passenger train before Daniel and another man were able to pull open the coach’s doors.
“It wasn’t easy to open,” Daniel noted.
Joshua, who served two tours in Iraq with the U.S. Marines, then made sure no one was left in that car. They started looking at the next car where Daniel discovered two trapped individuals. After Daniel opened a door to improve the air flow into the car, the rescue included Joshua and two other men shoveling gravel away so the trapped individuals could get to ladders that had been set up so they could climb out of the train.
With emergency personnel responding to the scene, the Hutchinsons then observed the response to the tragedy. They stayed at the scene until taking the last bus to the Chester High School gym.
Daniel said the communities of Chester and Joplin were outstanding as far as providing pizza, sandwiches, fruit and beverages. He said one Girl Scout troop gave quilts to the stranded passengers.
Daniel’s wife and Joshua’s girlfriend drove from Wolf Point and arrived in Chester at about 10 p.m. on Saturday. The family then returned to Wolf Point at about 4 a.m.
“I was pretty keyed up and fresh,” Daniel said. “Let’s go home and get in our own beds.”
