3 minute read
Coastal Courage Saves Family
When rising flood waters threatened a team member’s family, Texas Coastal Bend Railroad (TCBR)Trainmaster Jesse Luna didn’t hesitate to go to the rescue.
Tropical Storm Alberto slammed the Gulf of Mexico in June, dumping six inches of rain on Corpus Christi, Texas, and generating a three-foot tidal surge. At the time, the TCBR had brought in David Mitchell, a temporary conductor/engineer, to help with some extra work on the railroad. Since he wasn’t from the area, Mitchell was staying in a camper at a nearby campground. When the school year ended, his wife and six children came to stay with him for a few days.
The storm hadn’t seriously impacted the TCBR, so Mitchell wasn’t too concerned when his wife called as his shift was ending, concerned about flooding. But when he arrived at the park, he couldn’t get in and the family couldn’t evacuate because all the exits were under water, and the levels were still rising.
“I called Jesse to see if he knew anyone who could help,” Mitchell said. “He left straight from work and picked up his boat. He didn’t even change out of his work boots. There was no hesitation.”
Luna left the TCBR and sped home, where his brother, TCBR Conductor/Engineer Ernesto, helped load up their boat before heading to the campground.
“That’s just who Jesse is,” said Darl Farris, TCBR general manager. “Everyone around here knows that he’s the kind of person that’s going to go the extra mile every time. He just jumped right in, literally. He didn’t have any waders or anything. He just grabbed his boat and jumped in the water to help those kids.”
The camper was about 250 yards from where they could launch the boat. Fortunately, the water was still shallow enough for them to walk the boat there, but the waves were crashing and the current was moving quickly. The boat allowed them to safely load all six children, two girls and four boys between the ages of 6 and 11, and Mitchell’s wife and guide them to safety.
“The kids were so excited,” Mitchell said. “The boys thought it was the coolest thing ever, getting saved from their island. The girls were like, ‘Oh, my hero.’ My wife and I are so grateful for Jesse and his willingness to help and keep the kids calm. It was a real blessing.”
Later in the day, official rescue personnel were called in to help evacuate the other tenants at the site because the water kept rising. Following the rescue, the TCBR put the family up in a hotel for three nights, until it was safe to return to the campground. The water topped the wheels, but didn’t enter the camper and both of the family’s cars were still drivable.
Luna joined the TCBR at startup, nearly three years ago, but he’s been working on the line for more than a decade. He’s from the area and knows it well. These storms are nothing new.
“He’s a Watco team member through and through,” Farris said. “He demonstrates that every day. He’s a trainmaster, but whatever department needs help, he’s the first to jump in, whether it’s manually protecting a crossing, giving someone a ride, or now, doing water rescues.”
