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Man trapped for more than 12 hours in train car rescued by firefighters

Incident occurred around 4:30 a.m. in 1700 block of Quintana Road

SAN ANTONIO – A man trapped for more than 12 hours on a train was rescued by firefighters early Tuesday morning, according to the San Antonio Fire Department.

The fire department received the call around 4:30 a.m. from a worker at a Union Pacific rail yard near the 1700 block of Quintana Road on the city’s Southwest Side after hearing someone inside one of the freight cars screaming for help.

Firefighters said they arrived to find a man stuck inside one of the cars with his feet caught in heavy wire coil. They spent more than an hour trying to free him, officials said.

A batallion chief said the man is from Guatemala and climbed into the train in Eagle Pass, crawling into the car through a small space. The load however shifted, causing the heavy coil to fall onto his feet, fire officials said.

Firefighters say the train car has been in the yard since about 5 p.m. Monday, so they think he’s been trapped for roughly 12 to 14 hours.

The man is expected to be OK and was taken to an area hospital for treatment, fire officials said.


About the Authors
Ben Spicer headshot

Ben Spicer is a digital journalist who works the early morning shift for KSAT.

Katrina Webber headshot

Katrina Webber joined KSAT 12 in December 2009. She reports for Good Morning San Antonio. Katrina was born and raised in Queens, NY, but after living in Gulf Coast states for the past decade, she feels right at home in Texas. It's not unusual to find her singing karaoke or leading a song with her church choir when she's not on-air.

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