An excavator operator working to repair a section of storm-damaged rail line in Santa Barbara County was injured when the tracks and embankment collapsed.
The incident happened just before 8 a.m. Tuesday morning, 17 miles west of Goleta on the Gaviota Coast. The excavator was on the train tracks, working on debris removal along the storm-damaged rail line.
"The washout was large enough that the tracks themselves were suspended in mid-air, with no support beneath them," said Santa Barbara County Fire Captain Mike Gray. "When the excavator came across that portion of track, the track wasn't able to support it. It fell into the washout area, which is about ten feet deep and 20 feet long."
The excavator operator suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
The damaged rail will be closed to passenger and freight traffic for an undetermined period. Amtrak is using buses to connect passengers past the damaged area.
