[Guest post by Jack Dunphy]
I received a text message from an LAPD colleague involved in the rescue operation at Friday’s rail disaster in Chatsworth:
A cell phone was ringing on one of the dead bodies under tarp. Probably family calling to see if ok. Heartbreaking.
— Jack Dunphy
UPDATE BY PATTERICO: The death toll is up to 25. A horrible disaster.
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Having been the first responder to a mass-casualty natural disaster as a police officer I can relate.
There can be little more that is more emotionally crushing to those that weren’t part of the instant moment of crisis than that lonely ring…
A prayer for those that are no longer…a prayer for the caller…a prayer for the responders…
So sad….
mjn1957 (6e1275) — 9/13/2008 @ 12:13 pmVery heartbreaking — my thoughts and prayers are with the families…very tragic.
Richard Romano (b96fd9) — 9/13/2008 @ 12:18 pmI saw someone interviewed last night on KCAL that said a something similar. He was a passenger that helped rescue others, and said the thing that will haunt him most is the sound of cel phones ringing coming from the first (demolished) cars.
Earlier, there had been interviews of family members waiting to hear from their loved ones. They all said they’d been calling and calling their phones.
MayBee (1ddba1) — 9/13/2008 @ 12:32 pmTogether, those stories are just heartbreaking.
A terrible tragedy. Prayers for all, especially those doing the rescue work.
Old Coot (2f3a50) — 9/13/2008 @ 12:42 pmMan, that sucks.
thebronze (90b755) — 9/13/2008 @ 1:04 pmI grew up around the corner from there, played at Stony Point Park ….
My heart and prayers to all those families.
I have to say, though, the stories last night of the neighbors in the area rushing to the scene and helping pull people out before the fire/police arrived give me hope. Human beings are basically amoral, goodness has to be taught. Looks like a lot of people had great parents.
Darleen (187edc) — 9/13/2008 @ 2:18 pmThe guy who sits right next to me at work takes that line. Except he takes it south from Burbank, and had left the office about an hour after the crash. But when we first read of the story, we were all panicked for him.
I’m sick over it all, and knowing this was completely preventable doesn’t help any.
Steverino (1dda08) — 9/13/2008 @ 9:58 pmI agree, Steverino. As bad as this is, it’s worse if it turns out it could have been prevented.
DRJ (7568a2) — 9/13/2008 @ 10:11 pml wondered when the law was passed that it was illegal to talk on the telephone without a handsfree device while driving, why didn’t they make it against the law to text message since this seems to me to be the most dangerous’ thing to do while driving. I don’t know, but what do you think ? Who are these people making these laws? They probably didn’t even know what text messaging was.
Carolyn Hardiman (6809c5) — 9/14/2008 @ 12:27 amDuh!
I only hope those slack-jawed bastards from Kansas do not show up to picket the funerals of the victims.
Michael Ejercito (a757fd) — 9/14/2008 @ 6:49 pm