Yet another train derailed, this time in Montana. Fortunately, it didn’t spill many dangerous chemicals or environment-polluting toxins, but one item of note did tumble from the derailed train cars: beer, and lots of it. Such is what the Missoulian reported, saying:
The derailment occurred just after 9 a.m. Sunday on a Montana Rail Link line directly across from Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort, about 3.8 miles south of Paradise and 9.75 miles southeast of Plains. The railway said in an update Monday night that their personnel and contractors continued to work on investigating and cleaning up the derailment, which sent more than 20 cars off the track. At least 18 derailed cars were visible just outside a tunnel that contained more derailed cars.
A tank car of butane, a form of liquefied petroleum gas, derailed but didn’t release any of the highly flammable material. The only cargo known to have spilled was some powdered, natural bentonite clay and multiple box cars of Coors Light and Blue Moon beer, in cans and bottles. There were no injuries in the derailment. No cars caught fire.
Though that was mainly good news, it should be noted that MRL said Monday that “A small amount of (diesel) fuel was released to the soil from two impacted refrigerator cars. MRL has been in communication with both local and federal authorities and will conduct any necessary site remediation, including impacted soil removal in coordination with DEQ. There continues to be no risk to the public, no reported injuries, and there are no concerns involving hazmat release.”
And what happened next? Thirst anglers swooped down on the scene of the wreck and grabbed what cases of beer they could. Such is what The Spokesman reported, saying:
The Saint Ignatius, Montana, resident has been fishing the Clark Fork since the early 1980s and, as a Montana fishing guide, knows the river well. So, he called his friend Jim Lapotka, loaded up his drift boat and headed out. They put in about three miles upstream of the derailed train and, by noon, had reached the site of the accident. Smith was joined by his friend’s 10-year-old son who “wanted to see a train accident.”
“We beat all the response crews. I think when we got there, there were a couple guys on foot,” Smith said. “We beat search and rescue. I am pretty proud that I out-rowed the jet boats.”
What they found may have come straight from a parched angler’s dreams.
Cases and cases of beer.
Smith added “I know it looks like a bunch of Yahoos going down the river. But actually I’ve been trained at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.” He also noted that they just took what was in the water and didn’t go ashore, saying, “We did not remove anything from that site. We didn’t step ashore. I knew better. It’s a safety issue. I understand that.”
Hopefully, the ice-cold river water chilled the beer for them. Smith and his group went on fishing, eventually landing one brown trout.
"*" indicates required fields