‘It was very close’: Person rescued from under train in Prince Albert

It was a very close call for someone who passed out on the railroad tracks Thursday morning in Prince Albert.

The person was lying between the rails and had to be extricated from under a locomotive, according to city’s fire department.

“It was very close. If (the train crew) hadn’t managed to stop when they did, the fuel tanks that hang considerably lower under the locomotive would have severely injured the person,” said Deputy Chief Alex Paul.

“The person was laying on the tracks between the rail and when the engineer realized it was a person and not just debris on the tracks, he applied the emergency brakes.”

The person was not struck by the train and managed to get out fairly easily with help from their rescuers. The person was taken to hospital by EMS with what are described as minor injuries.

Paul said it is illegal to walk on the track and violators can face charges from police or the railroad track’s owners, in this case, Carlton Rail.

The incident happened Thursday morning around 10 a.m. in the area behind Superstore.