Death on a train (not the Orient Express)

[crabby_appleton1950]

Has anyone here been a passenger on an Amtrak train when another passenger died (hopefully of 'natural causes')?

Does it delay the train; is it handled by authorities at the next stop; etc?

Thanks

 

[Anatolica]

I was on #4 about 20 years ago when an elderly man got on at Flagstaff and was in the roomette opposite me. Later on he said he didn't feel well, and by the time we were approaching Albuquerque he was in dire straits, presumably with heart trouble. Medics met the train there and he was pronounced dead and removed. It did not delay the train. I suspect the process would be much more convoluted now.

 

[guest]

I was on #14 a couple of years ago when a man slumped in his seat a few minutes before arrival to Salinas. A couple of nurses happened to be traveling in the same car, saw him, determined that his heart had stopped, and pulled him down into the aisle and began to provide CPR. Upon arrival into SNS, paramedics and police boarded, determined that he was unrevivable, and he was taken away. The train left on time!

 

[Tom Davidson]

In general, the person is removed from the train at the next stop.

Over twenty years ago, a bedridden man and his wife boarded my sleeper on the A-Train at Lorton. He was a very elderly stroke victim. Not much was said until the train was underway. Then the wife told me she wasn't certain that her husband would survive the trip. Then she left for the lounge car and made herself scarce for the duration of the trip. He needed nursing care, and I did what I could for him under the circumstances. The SCA in the next car helped me out. Next morning, the man was still alive so we sent him and his wife on their way. I've always wondered about her state of mind, and how long the man lived after that.

You can't make this stuff up.

Tom

 

[oregon pioneer]

I have been on the EB when it stopped at a regular crossing, in the middle of nowhere, to meet an ambulance. I know they can do that when it's a long time between stops. Never heard anything about the passenger's fate.

 

[CHamilton]

I have been on the EB when it stopped at a regular crossing, in the middle of nowhere, to meet an ambulance. I know they can do that when it's a long time between stops. Never heard anything about the passenger's fate.

I was on the Zephyr a few years ago when we stopped at a road crossing to meet an ambulance. Apparently the chef was sick (appendicitis, IIRC) and he was taken off and we proceeded eastward. No delays, but the SCA came around to tell us that he would be helping out in the kitchen. He managed to do that and take good care of us, too. Good service.

 

[jphjaxfl]

I was on a Delta L10-11 flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles in 1998. After dinner, the elderly passenger immediately behind me was complaining of chest pains. It was a full flight. The Doctor on board was a Psychiatrist, but had work as an EMT in Medical School. There was also a husband/ wife nurse team. Giving CPR was a challenge due to the full flight. The flight diverted to Las Vegas where the EMT boarded and removed the passenger. The nurse couple also left and I felt sure the passenger had died. A couple of days later, I saw the obituary in the LA Times. We were about 2 hours late arriving in LA. I thought they handled things very efficiently.

 

[FriskyFL]

We were on a cruise back in December on which a passenger expired shortly after departing Ft Lauderdale. Ship actually returned to port to offload the deceased and family. Didn't get going again until nearly midnight.

Anywhere there's people, there's a chance that someone could have a medical emergency. Especially after or during a strenuous day of travel.

 

[AKA]

A few years on the CZ two brothers were going west to Denver. They were on the way to bury their mother. Some where in Iowa one brother became ill in the SSL. He died and was taken off the train at a road crossing by EMS and LEO's The wife and brother and wife left with the body.

 

[crabby_appleton1950]

I was on a Delta L10-11 flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles in 1998. After dinner...

I recall the 'good old days' of meals on flights. Last few times I've been on a plane we got a tiny bag of pretzels.

 

[the Other Mike]

A friend of mine passed away on a train this past year. he was in poor health and his quality of life was pretty low. None of us knew about the trip until he was found dead in his roomette at his final destination ( no pun intended ) While few details were given, the fact that he went alone and without telling any of us, we assumed he planned it this way. At his service, several of us thought it was the perfect way to go ( except for the crew who had to deal with it). As we understood the few facts, he wasn't discovered until all other's had left the sleeper and the SCA was checking rooms. A friend that is a liaison to Amtrak said it happens more often then anyone cares to discuss in public.

 

[Bob Dylan]

As much as I've ridden Amtrak ( and planes in the old days) I've seen numerous deaths and Medical Emergencies occur aboard trains!

As was said by others, normally an Ambulance and LE personnel will meet the train, talk with the OBS, if necessary pick up the body or patient, and then the train will roll on!

My most memorable occurrence aboard a LD train happened on the Sunset Ltd. in the wilds of West Texas between Del Rio and Alpine where a man in a Bedroom passed away in his room!

Since the closest town with Medical facilities was Alpine, which is a crew change and service stop, the train highballed on to Alpine where we were met by officials who removed the body while we were doing station work, those boarding were then allowed on the train and we left right on time heading West!

I would guess that if the same thing happened between Alpine and El Paso, the train would go on to El Paso since there isn't anything to speak of on the Sunset Route between Marfa and El Paso, a distance of 200 Miles!

 

[user 1215]

I wonder if a train ever wyed back to return to a station that was closer. I would think logistically, it's probably almost always more efficient to get to the next stop. But, I think that meeting EMS is probably the preferred method.

 

[oregon pioneer]

As was said by others, normally an Ambulance and LE personnel will meet the train, talk with the OBS, if necessary pick up the body or patient, and then the train will roll on!

My most memorable occurrence aboard a LD train happened on the Sunset Ltd. in the wilds of West Texas...

Oh, Jim, that reminds me of an incident on our last big train trip. It was on the Palmetto between BAL and SAV, in December 2013. In one of the small towns, an ambulance was called for a passenger. They warned us over the speaker system that an ambulance would be meeting the train. The EMT crew were waiting with a gurney, and then I saw the female passenger wheeled out. She was sitting upright, so I guess she wasn't in too bad a shape.

 

[JayPea]

There have been a couple of occasions in my Amtrak travels where occurrences of a similar nature have happened. Once on the TE/SL the announcement came over the loudspeakers that the train would stop for a medical emergency. This was in West Texas, in the town of Fabens, about 30 miles from El Paso. This stop began to take so long that we were beginning to wonder if the coroner's wagon was going to show up. Eventually an ambulance and EMT unit showed up and they wheeled a young man off the train. I'd seen him earlier in the day in the coach section and though to myself he didn't look well at all. We were probably delayed 45 minutes or so. The second incident occurred while on the CZ. This time there was an ambulance and EMT unit waiting for the train at our stop in Fraser-Winter Park. This was for an elderly female passenger. As this was a smoke stop and as the medical personnel were already there we had no delays for this emergency.

 

[Ind Ben]

A few years ago while on 20, the chef had a medical emergency and was taken to the hospital in B'ham al. The train picked up fried chicken in Anniston, for 1st class passengers. Lost most time waiting for chicken.

 

[crabby_appleton1950]

he was found dead in his roomette at his final destination ( no pun intended )

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Switching to air for a moment, the A380 and some of the longer haul A340s have a sealed cool room where up to 2 stiffs can be placed. That is very understandable because unlike a train, an airliner cannot pull up at the next crossing and unload.

 

[Willie1946]

I've been on "behind the scenes tours" on a couple of different cruise lines. Both acknowledged having "morgues" but declined to show them to us. They assured us they were not in the same area with food storage. And they both had brigs.

BN

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

And they both had brigs.

Maybe Amtrak should have set these up in the new Viewliner Bags

 

[chakk]

I wonder if a train ever wyed back to return to a station that was closer. I would think logistically, it's probably almost always more efficient to get to the next stop. But, I think that meeting EMS is probably the preferred method.

I don't recall a train ever changing travel direction for a medical emergency. But I have been on LD trains that have stopped at a road crossing further down the line where the train was met by a highway ambulance and emergency medical personnel. I short announcement was made to the passengers over the P.A. by the conductor explaining the reason for the unscheduled stop, with no specifics for the privacy of the individual.

 

[FormerOBS]

Turn the entire train and send it back? Probably not in this lifetime. For one thing, there aren't very many conveniently located wyes. More importantly, can you imagine the chaos that could create for the dispatcher?

I can imagine a backup move to avoid a stretch of track that has become impassable due to an accident or weather factors. In such a situation, the whole railroad line would be essentially shut down for a period of time.

Tom

 

[alang]

On the CZ in Summer of 2006. Passenger had a heart attack and passed away in Nevada on an already late train. Two hour delay. We were eight hours late getting into MTZ.

 

[Agent]

And they both had brigs.

Maybe Amtrak should have set these up in the new Viewliner Bags

Could probably borrow some cars from FEMA instead.

 

[firstcultural]

This probably happens quite often, and for good reason - one can be in far worse health and still take a train, than would be possible driving, flying, or riding a bus. It's often the only way for people to make that one last trip home.