A serious accident on the CN rail line at Arrow River occurred when a CN worker was hit by a passing train. STARS air ambulance was called and the victim was airlifted to a hospital where he underwent treatment for his injuries.
RCMP provided further details: Yesterday at approximately 12:35 p.m., Yellowhead RCMP received a report of a collision between a train and a railway employee, on Highway 24, near Arrow River, Man.
When RCMP arrived, EMS and the Fire Department were already on scene.
An employee who was working on the railway was struck by the train. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The rail company has not provided any further details around the accident but said, “CN responded to an incident yesterday involving an employee east of Miniota, Manitoba. The cause of the incident is under investigation. CN thanks first responders for their assistance.”
A spokesperson for STARS said, “Our crew and helicopter were dispatched to the Arrow River area yesterday to provide critical care to a worker who had sustained traumatic injuries as a result of being struck by a train.
“We transported the 26-year-old male to HSC in Winnipeg in serious condition.”
It was early afternoon when the STARS helicopter could be heard overhead in the town of Hamiota as the red chopper landed near the high school, north of the truck wash along Highway 21.
Along with the ambulance and fire department (who provide traffic control and assist with any serious incident), the STARS team were on the ground where the helicopter was refueled before STARS lifted off around 2:45 p.m.
From it’s base in Winnipeg, STARS requires re-fueling when it arrives in locations in Westman area. The RM of Pipestone purchased a refueling trailer for just such an emergency as this and they made the trip to refuel this helicopter. Otherwise, the helicopter would have had to make a trip to an airfield to refuel before transporting the patient.
“The STARS teams send a big thank you to the RM of Pipestone and the Pipestone-Albert Volunteer Fire Department for their important role in quickly refueling STAR-7, greatly minimizing the patient’s journey to Winnipeg,” said STARS spokesperson. “This mobile refueling was a first for STARS in Manitoba and underscores the importance of our community allies in the fight to save lives.”
During the last two weeks of March, STARS flights served emergency situations for Westman in the communities of Rivers, Shoal Lake and Alexander as well as Dauphin and other points around the province.
