A rare case on this channel in which the person who caused the disaster got let off because it was an accident in which several different factors all contributed to the disaster. He also was instrumental in saving lives, seemingly rare when compared to all of the captains who run away like cowards in other ship disaster videos I've seen. Hearing he was a broken man after made me very sad. I hope he can have peace someday.
There's an article from 1998 saying he hasn't worked since,.not sure if that changed since that report. It said he lives with a daughter. Somewhat confusing, google has him linked to another Willie Odom who died in 2013. An April 2018 AP news article couldn't get a comment from Willie, but his brother Morsco spoke of his more than two decades of anguish, though the pain has eased. 'The nightmares aren't as bad.'
Yes, we've seen so many captains and crew members vilified by corporations that seek to blame an individual...that he wasn't treated that way gives me faith in mankind...
@@Stichting_NoFa-p Others said whatever mistakes he made he should his true character by helping survivors as best he could. His story is tragic because a good man was destroyed by a mistake.
I feel so bad for Mr. Odom. Dude acted within his best judgement, did his best to avoid disaster amidst extremely adverse conditions, and did all he could to save the victims of the accident when it did occur. And still thought he'd be fired and go to jail. Dude seemed like quite the honorable man and it's a shame to hear how much the crash had haunted him. The dude was NOT responsible for the crash (and was ruled as such) and most of the blame came from a lack of maintaining and properly updating the bridge in question. I hope he's found peace in the 30+ years since. A complete tragedy all around
@@mikeh892 Reminds me of my reaction to the Nutty Putty Cave Disaster: when there's an easy and fairly obvious way to go off course and think you're on course, and there are common factors by which a person would make that mistake, it makes sense to put up some sort of barrier to prevent that mistake. When it's a major shipping area where limited visibility is a repeated and likely occurrence? Some pilings at the mouth of the no-go area could've made a difference. But that's likely not a reasonable solution. Can't baby-proof the wild, and sometimes attempts to do so could introduce worse factors.
@@starlingukabsolutely. He would have been petrified, and with all the justification in the world, based on news stories from Alabama in the past few years. The way POC are treated in the southern states especially is terrible, and I’m sure it was so much worse 30 years ago. I feel so badly for him. He really was very brave, and his actions to help rescue passengers made him a hero. I hope he found some mental peace.
Hole 1: fog/poor visibility Hole 2: inexperienced pilot unfamiliar with navigating the area Hole 3: bridge that was built to swing out and not secured Hole 4: safety system that didn’t detect that the tracks were damaged. This accident perfectly depicts the “Swiss cheese” models where all the holes line up to cause an accident!
Just imagine having to PAY to turn control of your ship over to a "specialized, experienced pilot" to navigate certain waterways. Then they hire whoever they want, the cheapest they can get, and crash your ship anyways. (They say it's for safety, but it's mainly to turn a profit to help pay for the waterway cost.)
Damn! That one saddens me more than usual because that pilot indeed was not responsble for that, he did the best he could given the circumstances. To know he’s now a broken man because of that breaks my heart.
He might have been blamed by so pie conspiracy theorists as well. When there seems to be an honest mistake, the guilt is often too much to bear for innocent person.
As sad as the loss of life was, it was refreshing to see an actual honest accident. No one was being negligent when it happened, and as soon as those that caused it realized, they leap into action to save who they could rather than running away to avoid responsibility.
The bridge not being secured and insufficient training does kind of sound like negligence to me. Not sure if it would count as such legally, but yeah. (Not blaming the guy himself, but the companies and/or regulations.)
I think that even a more experienced pilot might've missed that turn in such heavy fog. Given that fact, and that Mr. Odom acted heroically in helping aide survivors after the incident, his being penalized would've been ridiculous.
Forensic Files covered this case many years ago. Your coverage of Mr. Odem was incredibly compassionate and humanizing. I’m so glad he was cleared of wrongdoing. It’s terrible when so many things come together to create a freak accident like this.
Hi; I wrote the script. I tried my best to do so after digging into what was publically available - as I knew about Willie's involvement in the disaster but not what happened to him afterwards. Well, at least until researching this video. Truly heartbreaking, I can't begin to imagine the guilt he felt.
I thought this sounded familiar. Yeah, that episode didn’t really do him any favors as far as painting the complete story, and the show rarely shares “where are they now” segments, possibly due to time constraints.
I was a Mobile County Sheriffs Deputy and also worked with the Flotilla as a Diver. I will never forget this accident as long as I live. It was like a scene out of Apocalypse Now. Ironically, shortly after this accident I became employed as a Conductor for CSX and also took trains over Bayou Canot after they rebuilt the bridge. NOTE: They placed a bronze plaque with the names of the victims on the new bridge. I also met the crew of the Southbound CSX Train that was waiting in the Hurricane Landing Siding. They were instructed to cut-off their engines and proceed south looking out for Amtrak. The Dispatcher was trying to locate where they were to send help. The Conductor of the Amtrack Train only had his handheld radio and did not know where he was in the Delta Span. When I became a Conductor for CSX, I made it a habit of using binoculars to inspect the rails at distance for obstructions and bent rails. I have some videos of my train trips on the UA-cam channel "Southern Stories"
this accident happens because all of the bad stuff which are separate decided to line up perfectly that day (the pilot steering the boat to the wrong river, the bridge having a flawed design, the train got delayed) life can sometimes be cruel to people.
That’s how it often goes in major accidents, people ignore one simple thing, by itself rarely would cause an accident, but then multiple, that how final destination happens.
This is one of my favorite channels on UA-cam. I hate that people are copying your style of videos, because no one else does it with the same respect as you do. I really appreciate that you don't sensationalize the deaths in your video, and highlight the heroism and improved safety that was learned.
I agree. I've watched other channels like this one and none of them compare, with one exception. Brick Immortar(I think I spelled that right). His focus is mainly maritime disasters, and he gets very technical in his descriptions. But he doesn't get dramatic and he is respectful of the victims.
Copying? But this is just a fairly standard 'accident breakdown in 10-20mins, using top 10 Google search results' type channel, there's nothing so unique Fascinating Horror does that means others can't also do accident breakdowns, using photos pulled from the net, Wikipedia to guide your broader understanding, newspaper articles, short summaries of NTSB reports & a little depressing/haunting non-copyrighted music. The more the merrier, I say. As Brick Immortar says so rightfully, "Your safety matters".
@@skullsaintdead Hey, I wrote the script for this, and I can safely say I did not just pull the 'top 10 results from Google." Same goes with the other scripts I wrote for this channel.
I remember watching a Seconds From Disaster episode on this crash and it revealed that the reason the bridge moved was the locks than held the bridge in the closed position hadn't been properly maintained. As a result when the barge bumbed the bridge they snapped and the bridge opened just enough to derail the train.
I saw that one too and the Forensic Files one so I wanted to check this one out. I would have honestly anyway as I enjoy this channel but it's nice to see this side as well.
My 93-year-old gramma was on her way home to St Petersburg Florida from our home in San Antonio, aboard the first passenger car on this Sunset Limited. Her car went completely underwater and most of the folks in it, including her, didn't survive. My mom had driven her to the train station.
I remember being in elementary school in Birmingham, AL when this happened. My class was supposed to go on an Amtrak field trip the next day, but everyone freaked out and refused to go on train trips for the next 3 years.
Williams actions immediately after the collision were more than just responsible; I think other people would have had a mental breakdown and unable to do anything, not even to help others. He powered through that and definitely contributed to saving lives.
The man was in the middle of having a minor mental breakdown, but he stepped up and did his damndest to save as many as he could. That's the kind of situation that shows just how strong somebody's mental fortitude is.
I think his actions before the collision showed he was trying his best to avoid collisions, reducing speed, then trying to stop the vessel, then deciding it was too dangerous for the crewman to be out of sight.
Odem sounds like a really good and empathetic man. It's a shame he stopped working the river because I'd be willing to bet he would now be THE SAFEST person working the riverways.
My heart breaks for Odem and the families of those lost. The guilt he went on to live with was heavy. It's so nice to hear however that each person was doing their job the best they could and for the Amtrak crew, to the letter. RIP to those lost and healing vibes to those still in pain today. 💔
I once made the mistake of going out in a heavy rainstorm in Southern California, no less, after work. Due to very low visibility from the rain plus all the water coming up from all the other cars, I ended up turning down a wrong street and going north instead of south for about 7 miles. When you can't see your surroundings you can get lost very quickly even though you think you have your bearings and know your route. Visibility is critical.
I’ve actually walked in a 1 mile circle on a previously traversed trail system but now in heavy snowfall, in a thick British Columbia forest. Luckily it was all in the confines of the city of Vancouver, so the danger was pretty minimal….but in the wild: I woulda freaked tf out.
Some years ago, I got caught in a nighttime downpour on I-85 in South Carolina. The rain was so horrendous, I slowed to less than 25mph and had to keep my eyes trained on the white line on the right side of the right-hand driving Lane -- I could barely see more than a few yards ahead of my front bumper in my headlight beams. I kept snailing along, followed by a line of cars in the right and lane; their drivers were quite willing to have me blaze a trail and follow my taillights. Suddenly, it felt as if I was hydroplaning as the white line curved to the right. Then I realized I was following the white line down an exit ramp!!! The downpour was so heavy, I doubt I could have seen any exit signs, even if I hadn't been totally focused on that white line. Well, the line of traffic followed my car like a line of baby ducklings swimming after a mama duck, right down that exit ramp!😮 I decided that as long as I had made it off the interstate, I'd find a safe place to park and wait out the storm. But the drivers behind me did the unthinkable: they TURNED AROUND and in my rearview mirror, I saw their TAILLIGHTS going back UP the exit ramp -- going the wrong way in blinding rain, heading south to re-enter the northbound lanes! All they had to do, if they were that desperate to keep driving in that downpour, was go to the bottom of the exit ramp, drive across the access road, and go up the entrance ramp to northbound I-85. But some people... I have no idea if anyone wrecked due to their stupidity, but when the rain lessened, I went up the entrance ramp on my own. I survived. 😊
I'm British, and knew that it was prone this way. I did To Kill a Mockingbird at school, which mentions Mobile a few times, and I somehow heard that it was pronounced as it is.
I feel for the captain. He was clearly wildly unprepared for the course he was on and his ship and company were way under spec. He was stuck charting a blind course with zero instruments. The way he responded is really the gold standard of how someone should respond when they've made a deadly error. I've heard his story a lot and no one holds malice toward him - not even the survivors or the families of the deceased. I think it's because he acted with integrity and remorse constantly and consistently and claimed his fault every step of the way. I hope he found peace.
That in itself is an amazing feat. Being a professional trucker is loaded with so much responsibility. Your actions can affect people in so many ways. Thank you for forty years of professionalism. Always stay safe and be well.
I had an opportunity to ride on the Sunset Limited from Los Angeles to Mobile, AL six years after this happened without having a clue about this horrific incident. That water is vile, with many poisonous snakes. The delay in the rescue is the true tragedy.
At the time of this disaster I was a Mobile County Sheriffs Deputy and also worked with the Flotilla as a Diver. I will never forget this accident as long as I live. It was like a scene out of Apocalypse Now. Ironically, shortly after this accident I became employed as a Conductor for CSX and also took trains over Bayou Canot after they rebuilt the bridge. NOTE: They placed a bronze plaque with the names of the victims on the new bridge. I also met the crew of the Southbound CSX Train that was waiting in the Hurricane Landing Siding. They were instructed to cut-off their engines and proceed south looking out for Amtrak. The Dispatcher was trying to locate where they were to send help. The Conductor of the Amtrack Train only had his handheld radio and did not know where he was in the Delta Span. When I became a Conductor for CSX, I made it a habit of using binoculars to inspect the rails at distance for obstructions and bent rails. I have some videos of my train trips on UA-cam Channel "Southern Stories" . I love this guys channel and wish I had his voice too.
@@davidbond8139as someone who lives in South Alabama, born and raised there, I can answer your question with 0 bs. In some parts, mainly around cities, people throw their garbage and stuff in the water. It's been mostly cleaned up from what I see daily but you could still get cut on broken glass in the shallower parts of, say, the Chattahoochee river. That's if you're brave enough to jump into the river though. Water moccasins love our rivers, swamps and damn near anywhere with water. And they're very poisonous. You don't really have to worry about them though as if you don't disturb them you'll be fine, and if you get bit most hospitals have the antivenin for every snake around. People like to joke and scare people that aren't from Alabama with stories of deadly wildlife, same as the Everglades, but your only real danger in terms of swimming in the river or going down it in a boat is the current. After it gets done raining you'd best stay out of the river or you'll get taken off by it.
Y'all, I cannot explain how scary that area is regarding the wildlife there. Alabama has 6 varieties of venomous snakes, gators, sharks and gars, bears, and even cougars and bobcats. I've been in that area before and as beautiful as it is, I would be absolutely mortified in that area in the dark of the night and in the water. Beautiful state and really nice people too. If you visit with the older generations, you are almost guaranteed to eat a meal with them before you leave, not another day but they will offer to feed you their homemade food for lunch or supper during the very day you are visiting with them. God's people. 💛
"So we've got to worry about alligators and snakes?" "And sharks. Don't forget the sharks." "Because it wasn't bad enough, you just had to add sharks. Thanks."
Im pretty sure with all the commotion, large amounts of people, fire ect most of that dangerous fauna would have deserted the immediate area pretty fast.
Thank you for covering this topic, Fascinating horror. As a train enthusiast ever since I was a kid, this is my second favorite train disaster topic, behind the 1998 ICE train crash at Eschede. It still blows my mind to think that so many parameters led to the disaster, but if just one of them had been omitted, the crash likely would have been prevented. Most notably the train signal staying green, even though the rails had been bent by 38 inches.
Oh God, a boat wreck, railroad cars falling, people trapped, bridge collapsing, water rising, fuel all over and everything catching fire. Then someone says, "Watch out for the alligators and snakes." And you're like, "Seriously?" What a nightmare.
Yeah, one thing the video didn't account for was cotton mouths 🫣 imagine getting drug to safety just for one to swim out and nip you right as you're reaching the bank
I know your comment’s old but I wouldn’t be so scared of the gators. I’ve never seen one in the wild but I know they don’t like fights, and any of the insane stories (like the Japanese army eaten going through a swamp in WWII) are crocodiles. They’re like alligators surviving on roids and hatred. Water snakes? Big F no. I’d bet money I could have a broken neck and be unable to move my arms or legs, but still try swimming with my tongue.
I've been under this bridge in a boat , and it is barely high enough for a boat to get under it. There is a memorial to this disaster,but it is next to the tracks on railroad property. Thanks for the video ; nice to see this covered.
That's a pretty wicked looking intersection between the two rivers, seems like you could miss the Mobile River in broad daylight, much less a foggy night.
This is just tragic. A string of events that combined to enable this accident. I feel so bad for Mr. Odem. From the linked article: He doesn't talk about that night. For five years he has avoided reporters. His first interview took place in his living room Sept. 3 and lasted about half an hour. "I wish I never had that accident," he said in the living room of his scuffed, brick home on a Grand Bay dirt road. "I had a good job, good money to raise my family. I used to tell my mother, `I should take me a gun and end all my troubles.' " Such a sad story for all.
I remember this episode of Forensic Files. Love how you humanized the pilot, other barge crew members, and the experiences of the rail crew. Like always, you bring something new to everything you create :)
One semi correction regarding the end of the video. Mobile and Amtrak are in the process of reopening passenger trains in the area. I like train's and have been seeing this in the news. You can easily take a look at articles regarding Amtrak going back to passenger train service in the area if you're interested. For clarification, this is not a dig at the channel. Excellent channel, no doubt. Just providing additional information for the viewers. 💛
Good stuff. I'd love to be able to go to NOLA on the train again. I do hope they make some adjustments to the routing, though; while the scenic quality is high, that stretch is just too susceptible to weather related damage.
However the Sunset Limited will still terminate in N.O. The trains from Mobile to NOLA later this year are commuters and will carry you to the station on Tulane.
He never worked in the water again. I bet that was heartbreaking to decide that. I respect that, we don’t trust ourselves enough to do the job. We leave and don’t come back. It takes guts to recognize that
I think I requested you cover this like 2 years ago, I'm so glad to finally see it. I can still remember Dad waking us up to move us to his bed before leaving to respond to the accident. He came back hours later saying there was nothing left for them to do and he would talk about it in the morning, but he never did. We learned about what actually happened from the newspapers and it was the first 'mass casualty incident' I was ever aware of.
I too misread the title as "canoe." My heart aches for Mr. Odom. He did his best given horrific circumstances and acted heroically in his efforts to aid the injured. I hope he has gotten some help and is able to enjoy life. And many thank yous, great narrator, for another tale told with your steady voice and utmost respect to all involved.
I remember this because at the time I was planning a rail tour of the US. I kind of went off the idea after this and finally did the tour last year 30 years later.
I love how you always feel so kindly and gently with the people involved in these tragedies. Like others I was struck by the experience of the pilot and how he couldn't make his life work very well after the tragedy even though he was cleared of wrongdoing. Once again you bring to light the mistakes and flaws and systems that cause this event and yet leave us very much focused on the humans involved and their humanity. Thanks again for these lovely films. Even when terrible things happen in your documentaries, they almost always leave me feeling better after watching them. I really appreciate that.
I like Mr Ballen , but sometimes his vids are just too darn loooong. I prefer Kristian's (FH's creator) approach personally. As for Scary Interesting, he's good but his music is too repetitive and sometimes gets to be too much.
Surprised you didn’t mention that better signage was added along the waterways of the area including signs spanning Big Bayou Canot to prevent other ships accidentally going up the river again
At the time of this disaster I was a Mobile County Sheriffs Deputy and also worked with the Flotilla as a Diver. I will never forget this accident as long as I live. It was like a scene out of Apocalypse Now. Ironically, shortly after this accident I became employed as a Conductor for CSX and also took trains over Bayou Canot after they rebuilt the bridge. NOTE: They placed a bronze plaque with the names of the victims on the new bridge. I also met the crew of the Southbound CSX Train that was waiting in the Hurricane Landing Siding. They were instructed to cut-off their engines and proceed south looking out for Amtrak. The Dispatcher was trying to locate where they were to send help. The Conductor of the Amtrack Train only had his handheld radio and did not know where he was in the Delta Span. When I became a Conductor for CSX, I made it a habit of using binoculars to inspect the rails at distance for obstructions and bent rails. I have some videos of my train trips on UA-cam Channel "Southern Stories" . I love this guys channel and wish I had his voice too.
Appreciate the true crime videos my man Especially when im going through a hangover at around 4am Your videos make suffering through alcoholism possible I appreciate you. Thanks. Edit: to anyone who suggests rehab, i would, but its terribly expensive, especially since i have no insurance at the moment. Anyone who cares to read this, just know i appreciate your sympathy :)
Keep getting through each day at a time, it's a path of many tiny victories. This random internet stranger is proud of you. If you have a setback, I hope you don't, but if you do, that's just one step back and you can start again, it doesn't erase your progress. I wish you the very best
Hi, I know it's unbelievably difficult when you are without insurance, but are you able to do AA or anything? Cutting down gradually is the thing, it's dangerous to go cold turkey. I'm in the UK, so I'm not up to speed with what resources you have available to you. I just wanted to say please please keep trying. I lost my Mum a couple of months ago - the knock on effects of her drinking ended up taking her life far too early. Do everything you can so that you don't leave heartbroken people like me behind. ❤
Thats awful that you have to rely on insurance to get help. I'm so sorry. Here in the UK I am in recovery, so is my husband. not for alcohol. But Its the same organisation. I just went to my doctors, and they did everything, I do have to pay for my prescription, but that's only because I work, if you don't work you can get free prescription. We take it for granted I think, I really hope you can find resources to help you. ❤
It's difficult, but all of us are proud of you for trying! Just be as safe as possible, and if you have to go to the hospital, then there are workarounds for getting the bill lowered
It's worth knowing most larger public hospitals and counties have both - people who's sole job it is to get you to the right programs, financial forms, and assistance - grant based funding for providing community care (it's just often an ordeal to get) It's also worth knowing you are neither required to go to emergency (as in emergency psych hold) nor specifically required to go into rehab/ inpatient mental health to be seen by a physician and receive necessary support All I'm really trying to say is, there's more than just two or three options here. I know addiction often makes people feel less powerful and their worlds seem smaller. I sincerely wish you peace and continued strength.
As someone who lived in the Mobile (thank you for pronouncing it correctly) area most of their life, I heard very little about Amtrak and hadn't heard about this accident until last year as I wasn't alive when it happened. As you mentioned, Mobile still doesn't have Amtrak, but it seems they've been in talks to get the New Orleans--Mobile route back up for a few years now. Thank you for your (as always) respectful and informative coverage of this tragedy and may the victims, survivors, and their families have peace.
He pronounced "Mobile" correctly? Wow! Thank you for letting us know! I stand corrected after saying it wrong my entire life, based on other people's mispronunciation! Never been to Alabama, but I've definitely learned something today!
I worked for a commercial diving company in Fairhope Alabama, we were hired by the state of Alabama to rig the wrecked train cars for lifting. They were still recovering bodies.
I live across the bay from Mobile! I was here when this happened as well, but I was a kid. Cool to see my favorite channel cover something so close to home.
Like almost all major accidents this was caused by a whole string of factors, any one of which if changed would have prevented this outcome. Ultimately though in my opinion the major one was that the bridge had been left so that with even a smallish jolt it could be swung enough out of place to derail a train - but not enough to break the tracks triggering a danger warning. As for the delays to the train by the toilet and air conditioner repairs, if THAT train had passed safely by before the accident then I'm pretty sure the next train across would have been the unlucky one as in the fog and at night the damage to the railway bridge would have been likely to remain unrecognised.
I was working in an office in Scott Paper Mill at Magazine Point just below the accident that day. We watched barges and boats bring the dead and removed debris to the pulpwood docks all day.
this is really one of those murphy's law type of situation, the captain was doing his best with the equipment and training he had and the train engineer also did the best with what he had because their security system wasn't able to alert them of the accident, good to know the boat's captain was not only absolved but also that he was part of the rescue efforts unlike many other captains from other known disasters who are the first to flee even without giving any warning to crew and passengers
The 9-1-1 call audio or at least portions of it have been played in various documentaries and that audio is absolutely haunting. I don't blame the pilot at all and it is good that he wasn't made a scapegoat, though, I thought I read somewhere on this, that the bridge either didn't have or wasn't required to have, too many warning systems on it. That being said the fog was so dense it IMO would not have mattered though
This one was heart breaking. Mostly because it's typically some person acting recklessly or with care and does something stupid that leads to disaster--which I was waiting to hear in this one--except, as you kept talking and describing the measures this guy took, as well as how he commanded himself afterwards to try and save people, AND that he was a broken man after this is just...ugh.
I feel so bad for Willie!! He did everything he could do and more. He is a hero in all senses of the word. He shouldn't feel broken at all!! He's a hero!! God bless him and everything he did to help those people!
Great video! One small correction, as someone from Alabama: the city and port of Mobile is pronounced "mo-BEEL". A lot of people who aren't from here assume it's pronounced like the word mobile, as in "mobile phone", but the stress is on the second syllable.
Love your channel. The music is menacing. This is a terrifying story. The dark, the water , the snakes and gators, the flames. Like being plunged into hell.
The music is pleasantly appropriate, even though repetitious. Not a fan of crescendoing violins like my heart is already to jump outta my chest. My PTSD, my bad but your music never offends, it's dark but sparky.
Things about this channel that make me happy: 1. The voice is always the same, east to listen to and well paced without going into "storyteller" territory. 2. The captions are always correct, present, and well timed. 3. The photos are interesting and informative without being repetitive 4. There are no images of the dead, but when there is firsthand testimony he puts it in tastefully. It really humanizes the people in the disaster. 5. He includes necessary background information, the aftermath, the legal proceedings surrounding it and who was held accountable, if any laws were affected by the disaster, and how the victims were memorialized, and does it in under 15 minutes almost every time. Precise, thoughtful, efficient. 6. If it's manageable, the victim's names and ages are included. Again, humanizing. 7. Doesn't make the assumption the listener is familiar with the UK/USA and gives background information on these places that others completely leave out. 8. Predictable! The same format, cadence, and posting time each week. This is just a thing that makes my autistic little brain happy
Willie Odom went to work at a lumber mill after this accident, avoiding the water altogether. The guilt he carried weighed on him heavily and affected his health. He passed away in 2013 at only 55 years old. :(
Thank you for making this video. This is well known in railroad circles, but very little known elsewhere. And the ramifications still affect American train travel today.
Aww, so sad all around. I can't imagine the horror of hearing a friend in mortal danger and being unable to help. It would be devastating to be a part of the cause of the accident. I hope they all find peace.
If there was any ultimate negligence in this, it was both the Alabama state government and the boat company for leaving a failing bridge in place like that, and not giving the towboats proper navigational equipment for low-visibility conditions. The pilot was doing just about everything right - he was just in the wrong place, had no way of knowing he was in the wrong place, and hit a bridge that took only a slight nudge to fail completely.That the bridge-down signal circuit ALSO failed due to the nature of the failure, was nobody's fault at all. It made the whole thing a truly freak accident. Very sorry that the pilot suffered like that. I can't imagine the nightmare he had to go through. He didn't want anyone to die. He did all he could to save lives, at great personal risk. And he simply had neither the equipment nor training to prevent the disaster. It was set up by people with far higher pay grades than his.
If you want to do any more stories on train drawbridge accidents, you could cover the 1853 drawbridge disaster in Norwalk, Connecticut, USA. That was part of the so-called "disaster year" of 1853 on American railroads, in which faster running times and denser scheduling caught up with poor building conditions and running practices, and marked the beginning of a rather deadly second half of the 19th century for US rails. Perhaps similar to how the '70s and '80s were comparatively deadly years in air travel; denser scheduling and bigger planes caught up with comparatively primitive navigational practices.
Oh damn, going into the wrong river was a VERY easy mistake to make in this situation. Like other comments said; a ton of problems lining up perfectly to create disaster. Also, his belief that he was going to get punished severely for an accident has everything to do with being a person of colour, especially in the south. But clearly, he’s a good man. I hope he can find the support he needs.
Thank you for covering this accident. I remember seeing it on Seconds From Disaster and being terrified and saddened. I would still want to ride an Amtrak train one day though since I know such tragedies are rare.
Forensic Files covered this some time ago, but there are more personal accounts in this video. The bit included about Willie Odom is sad, despite that he was legally cleared of wrong-doing.. I can sense the additional fear (which sounds inspired by fear of racism) in his statements to the crew member..
I live a town over from Mobile and was 12 years old when this happened. I remember listening to WABB when I woke up that morning to the "local" news of a railroad crash. I didn't realize how big a deal it was till much later. Here we call it the Sunset limited disaster.
A horrifying detail I didn't notice in this video: Everyone in the locomotive died because the entire car was completely buried in the mud. That's why you hear about people in the crew quarter being burned alive, but you don't hear anything about anyone driving the train.
Good to hear the pilot wasn't made into a scapegoat. Although it is irritating that the Sunset Limited still hasn't been properly restored to its entire route since Katrina. It's been 19 years! That's more than enough time to rebuild!
@@MarceloBenoit-trenes Ofc Amtrak wasn't interested. They choose track paths that miss major cities - meaning less people traveling on their trains. Amtrak has priority - if they want, they can definitely negotiate along different routes that serve major cities. But then they'd have to run more trains cuz the demand would be higher.
I’ve watched so many of these, and it rlly adds a sense of peace to know what, in each instance, they’ve done to prevent it from happening again❤ Thanks for your comtent
I remember this incident pretty well from my childhood. My father worked for CXS freight so we were always pretty informed about railway accidents, and I had family in Pensacola which is very close to Mobile. I had forgotten a number of details since I was a kid, but I always remembered how terrifying it must have been to be on scene for that accident - a train hurtling into a swamp at high-speed in pitch darkness? Trying to fathom that experience is the sort of thing that will keep you awake at night.
hero? a DEI hire that wasn't even fully qualified for the job a hero? he should have been in jail for negligent manslaughter of over 40 people. what are you smoking?!
OMG you did it. Thank you for this. I have been to this derailment spot 20 times. They have a memorial on the side of the tracks. This is a case of if it can go but it did go bad.
The city of Mobile went a step further and added red warning lights on the railway bridge to warn water craft both of its existence and also to not enter that water way. There were no lights on the bridge prior to the accident.
wow huh? Deep dark woods and trying to do that rescue. Mr. Odom, we salute you... hope you're still around to read of most of us appreciate your sincere efforts even if you thought you'd get the Pen. Hero all the way and the naysayers can take it up with me.
I've been on the Sunset Limited before, although I got off in Texas. it's a great ride, thru some truly spectacular scenery. this story makes me feel so sorry for Willie Odem -- he did the best he could with what knowledge and equipment he had.
Glad he was cleared of any wrongdoing. It was a combination of: Fate (Train was delayed for maintenance & track not broken) Poor management (He wasn't properly trained to read radar) Poor maintenance (train bridge not completed or secured) Nowadays, they just like to blame others for their mistakes and why people dont want to work anymore
I remember seeing this on TV but not understanding exactly what had happened because I was only five at the time. Not understanding why people drowned instead of swimming out of the cars or how fire could dance on water (a child's mind is so innocent, isn't it?). I can't imagine what those people went through, or how Willie dealt with his overwhelming guilt. So many little things came together to make one big disaster. I hope that everyone affected by this disaster finds peace.
A rare case on this channel in which the person who caused the disaster got let off because it was an accident in which several different factors all contributed to the disaster. He also was instrumental in saving lives, seemingly rare when compared to all of the captains who run away like cowards in other ship disaster videos I've seen. Hearing he was a broken man after made me very sad. I hope he can have peace someday.
There's an article from 1998 saying he hasn't worked since,.not sure if that changed since that report. It said he lives with a daughter. Somewhat confusing, google has him linked to another Willie Odom who died in 2013. An April 2018 AP news article couldn't get a comment from Willie, but his brother Morsco spoke of his more than two decades of anguish, though the pain has eased. 'The nightmares aren't as bad.'
It’s so sad that he did his best, rescued survivors and yet hurt for so long. I’m sure it has been hard.
He didn't flee the boat because it wasn't sinking and there were no passengers on board so you can't use that to compare.
Yes, we've seen so many captains and crew members vilified by corporations that seek to blame an individual...that he wasn't treated that way gives me faith in mankind...
@@Stichting_NoFa-p Others said whatever mistakes he made he should his true character by helping survivors as best he could. His story is tragic because a good man was destroyed by a mistake.
Good to know the pilot wasn't made a scapegoat.
Yes, quite unusual. Thank God.
I was glad to hear it. Sounds like he punished himself enough ever since then.
Yeah. We punish too many people who don't deserve it, this guy seems like a genuinely good human being whose circumstances were bizarrely unlucky.
He should have stopped. They can ground their barges against the shore.
@@KingfishStevens-di9jidid you miss the part where they tried multiple times?
I thought the title said "canoe" disaster, then I saw the bridge down and I wondered how big this bloody canoe actually was.
I’m glad i wasn’t the only one. I was very confused for a second lol
Lol : )
Gold 😂
I thought the exact same thing….
“Canot” is the French word for “canoe”, and there are definitely French-speakers in the bayou area, so you’re not far off.
I feel so bad for Mr. Odom. Dude acted within his best judgement, did his best to avoid disaster amidst extremely adverse conditions, and did all he could to save the victims of the accident when it did occur. And still thought he'd be fired and go to jail. Dude seemed like quite the honorable man and it's a shame to hear how much the crash had haunted him.
The dude was NOT responsible for the crash (and was ruled as such) and most of the blame came from a lack of maintaining and properly updating the bridge in question. I hope he's found peace in the 30+ years since.
A complete tragedy all around
Same here. Looking at that map and taking the lack of visibility into account, it's no wonder he missed the turn.
The man was a POC in Alabama. He'll have been raised to be afraid of the authorities, and rightly so.
@@mikeh892 Reminds me of my reaction to the Nutty Putty Cave Disaster: when there's an easy and fairly obvious way to go off course and think you're on course, and there are common factors by which a person would make that mistake, it makes sense to put up some sort of barrier to prevent that mistake. When it's a major shipping area where limited visibility is a repeated and likely occurrence? Some pilings at the mouth of the no-go area could've made a difference.
But that's likely not a reasonable solution. Can't baby-proof the wild, and sometimes attempts to do so could introduce worse factors.
@@starlingukabsolutely. He would have been petrified, and with all the justification in the world, based on news stories from Alabama in the past few years. The way POC are treated in the southern states especially is terrible, and I’m sure it was so much worse 30 years ago. I feel so badly for him. He really was very brave, and his actions to help rescue passengers made him a hero. I hope he found some mental peace.
Plus it was also poor training because he wasn't properly trained to read radar at that time.
Hole 1: fog/poor visibility
Hole 2: inexperienced pilot unfamiliar with navigating the area
Hole 3: bridge that was built to swing out and not secured
Hole 4: safety system that didn’t detect that the tracks were damaged.
This accident perfectly depicts the “Swiss cheese” models where all the holes line up to cause an accident!
Don't forget 5: unexpected delay in departing!
I believe it more closely resembles the mozzarella model.
Just imagine having to PAY to turn control of your ship over to a "specialized, experienced pilot" to navigate certain waterways. Then they hire whoever they want, the cheapest they can get, and crash your ship anyways.
(They say it's for safety, but it's mainly to turn a profit to help pay for the waterway cost.)
I think you're making shit up. Cheese?
Yeah. This problem was systemic
Damn! That one saddens me more than usual because that pilot indeed was not responsble for that, he did the best he could given the circumstances. To know he’s now a broken man because of that breaks my heart.
Yup, the pilot's story is one of the saddest ones covered on this channel so far.
He might have been blamed by so pie conspiracy theorists as well. When there seems to be an honest mistake, the guilt is often too much to bear for innocent person.
As sad as the loss of life was, it was refreshing to see an actual honest accident. No one was being negligent when it happened, and as soon as those that caused it realized, they leap into action to save who they could rather than running away to avoid responsibility.
There was some negligence involved: making a bridge that can swing open and then not securing it against doing so.
The bridge not being secured and insufficient training does kind of sound like negligence to me. Not sure if it would count as such legally, but yeah. (Not blaming the guy himself, but the companies and/or regulations.)
I think that even a more experienced pilot might've missed that turn in such heavy fog. Given that fact, and that Mr. Odom acted heroically in helping aide survivors after the incident, his being penalized would've been ridiculous.
As ridiculous as it sounds, he’s also a black man in the South. I’m glad sane and reasonable people were the ones to investigate the accident.
The organization that gave him so little training for this passage seems far more culpable.
agreed!
Not even basic compasses was pretty much waiting for an accident to happen, both boat and bridge were in dire need of updates.
He should have stopped. They can ground their barges against the shore.
Forensic Files covered this case many years ago. Your coverage of Mr. Odem was incredibly compassionate and humanizing. I’m so glad he was cleared of wrongdoing. It’s terrible when so many things come together to create a freak accident like this.
Hi; I wrote the script. I tried my best to do so after digging into what was publically available - as I knew about Willie's involvement in the disaster but not what happened to him afterwards. Well, at least until researching this video. Truly heartbreaking, I can't begin to imagine the guilt he felt.
I thought this sounded familiar. Yeah, that episode didn’t really do him any favors as far as painting the complete story, and the show rarely shares “where are they now” segments, possibly due to time constraints.
@@MilesL.auto-train4013 trash
I was a Mobile County Sheriffs Deputy and also worked with the Flotilla as a Diver. I will never forget this accident as long as I live. It was like a scene out of Apocalypse Now. Ironically, shortly after this accident I became employed as a Conductor for CSX and also took trains over Bayou Canot after they rebuilt the bridge. NOTE: They placed a bronze plaque with the names of the victims on the new bridge. I also met the crew of the Southbound CSX Train that was waiting in the Hurricane Landing Siding. They were instructed to cut-off their engines and proceed south looking out for Amtrak. The Dispatcher was trying to locate where they were to send help. The Conductor of the Amtrack Train only had his handheld radio and did not know where he was in the Delta Span. When I became a Conductor for CSX, I made it a habit of using binoculars to inspect the rails at distance for obstructions and bent rails. I have some videos of my train trips on the UA-cam channel "Southern Stories"
this accident happens because all of the bad stuff which are separate decided to line up perfectly that day (the pilot steering the boat to the wrong river, the bridge having a flawed design, the train got delayed) life can sometimes be cruel to people.
You might call it fate.
You can't forget the fog that was the cause of the misdirection. Even if you know an area well, you can still get lost in thick fog.
A sad example of the Swiss Cheese Model. When all the holes line up, watch out.
That’s how it often goes in major accidents, people ignore one simple thing, by itself rarely would cause an accident, but then multiple, that how final destination happens.
This is one of my favorite channels on UA-cam. I hate that people are copying your style of videos, because no one else does it with the same respect as you do. I really appreciate that you don't sensationalize the deaths in your video, and highlight the heroism and improved safety that was learned.
RIP
I agree. I've watched other channels like this one and none of them compare, with one exception. Brick Immortar(I think I spelled that right). His focus is mainly maritime disasters, and he gets very technical in his descriptions. But he doesn't get dramatic and he is respectful of the victims.
Copying? But this is just a fairly standard 'accident breakdown in 10-20mins, using top 10 Google search results' type channel, there's nothing so unique Fascinating Horror does that means others can't also do accident breakdowns, using photos pulled from the net, Wikipedia to guide your broader understanding, newspaper articles, short summaries of NTSB reports & a little depressing/haunting non-copyrighted music. The more the merrier, I say. As Brick Immortar says so rightfully, "Your safety matters".
@@skullsaintdead I think what this person is saying is that other channels don't show the same respect for the victims.
@@skullsaintdead Hey, I wrote the script for this, and I can safely say I did not just pull the 'top 10 results from Google." Same goes with the other scripts I wrote for this channel.
I remember watching a Seconds From Disaster episode on this crash and it revealed that the reason the bridge moved was the locks than held the bridge in the closed position hadn't been properly maintained. As a result when the barge bumbed the bridge they snapped and the bridge opened just enough to derail the train.
Same, it is actually on UA-cam with a lot of others which are all interesting watches.
I saw that episode too
I saw that one too and the Forensic Files one so I wanted to check this one out. I would have honestly anyway as I enjoy this channel but it's nice to see this side as well.
@dreskle it's unusual but occasionally Canada makes some good content like that.
@@Roddy556 like the Mayday series. Most of it was made in Canada.
My 93-year-old gramma was on her way home to St Petersburg Florida from our home in San Antonio, aboard the first passenger car on this Sunset Limited. Her car went completely underwater and most of the folks in it, including her, didn't survive. My mom had driven her to the train station.
Sorry for your loss, mate. Horrible
So sorry for your loss ❤
❤
That’s awful. I’m sorry for your loss. Your mum must find things particularly difficult with the what 🙀 family?
Sending love from Australia 🇦🇺
❤
I remember being in elementary school in Birmingham, AL when this happened.
My class was supposed to go on an Amtrak field trip the next day, but everyone freaked out and refused to go on train trips for the next 3 years.
Williams actions immediately after the collision were more than just responsible; I think other people would have had a mental breakdown and unable to do anything, not even to help others. He powered through that and definitely contributed to saving lives.
The man was in the middle of having a minor mental breakdown, but he stepped up and did his damndest to save as many as he could. That's the kind of situation that shows just how strong somebody's mental fortitude is.
I think his actions before the collision showed he was trying his best to avoid collisions, reducing speed, then trying to stop the vessel, then deciding it was too dangerous for the crewman to be out of sight.
Odem sounds like a really good and empathetic man. It's a shame he stopped working the river because I'd be willing to bet he would now be THE SAFEST person working the riverways.
PTSD is no joke, I hope he found peace cause it was absolutely not his fault.
he passed away in 2013
My heart breaks for Odem and the families of those lost. The guilt he went on to live with was heavy. It's so nice to hear however that each person was doing their job the best they could and for the Amtrak crew, to the letter. RIP to those lost and healing vibes to those still in pain today. 💔
I was reminded of this video today when the Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed. Both caused by a boat strike.
This is why we need to switch to the black national anthem as part of the 2025 Reparations Act
I once made the mistake of going out in a heavy rainstorm in Southern California, no less, after work. Due to very low visibility from the rain plus all the water coming up from all the other cars, I ended up turning down a wrong street and going north instead of south for about 7 miles. When you can't see your surroundings you can get lost very quickly even though you think you have your bearings and know your route. Visibility is critical.
I’ve actually walked in a 1 mile circle on a previously traversed trail system but now in heavy snowfall, in a thick British Columbia forest.
Luckily it was all in the confines of the city of Vancouver, so the danger was pretty minimal….but in the wild: I woulda freaked tf out.
Some years ago, I got caught in a nighttime downpour on I-85 in South Carolina. The rain was so horrendous, I slowed to less than 25mph and had to keep my eyes trained on the white line on the right side of the right-hand driving Lane -- I could barely see more than a few yards ahead of my front bumper in my headlight beams. I kept snailing along, followed by a line of cars in the right and lane; their drivers were quite willing to have me blaze a trail and follow my taillights. Suddenly, it felt as if I was hydroplaning as the white line curved to the right. Then I realized I was following the white line down an exit ramp!!! The downpour was so heavy, I doubt I could have seen any exit signs, even if I hadn't been totally focused on that white line. Well, the line of traffic followed my car like a line of baby ducklings swimming after a mama duck, right down that exit ramp!😮 I decided that as long as I had made it off the interstate, I'd find a safe place to park and wait out the storm. But the drivers behind me did the unthinkable: they TURNED AROUND and in my rearview mirror, I saw their TAILLIGHTS going back UP the exit ramp -- going the wrong way in blinding rain, heading south to re-enter the northbound lanes! All they had to do, if they were that desperate to keep driving in that downpour, was go to the bottom of the exit ramp, drive across the access road, and go up the entrance ramp to northbound I-85. But some people... I have no idea if anyone wrecked due to their stupidity, but when the rain lessened, I went up the entrance ramp on my own. I survived. 😊
@@nancyharman4795 OMG!
As a lifelong Mobilian, hearing you pronounce Mobile right makes my heart happy
Didn’t watch it yet but so glad, first British person to do so probably
I'm British, and knew that it was prone this way. I did To Kill a Mockingbird at school, which mentions Mobile a few times, and I somehow heard that it was pronounced as it is.
Yes, but like most Europeans, he mispronounced New Orleans.
I noticed that also. Good job.😅
@@TheMadProfessor.1to be fair, most Americans mispronounce it too.
I feel for the captain. He was clearly wildly unprepared for the course he was on and his ship and company were way under spec. He was stuck charting a blind course with zero instruments. The way he responded is really the gold standard of how someone should respond when they've made a deadly error. I've heard his story a lot and no one holds malice toward him - not even the survivors or the families of the deceased. I think it's because he acted with integrity and remorse constantly and consistently and claimed his fault every step of the way. I hope he found peace.
After 40 years of trucking I can relate to getting disoriented in the fog I’m very fortunate not to have been involved in a incident
That in itself is an amazing feat. Being a professional trucker is loaded with so much responsibility. Your actions can affect people in so many ways. Thank you for forty years of professionalism. Always stay safe and be well.
I had an opportunity to ride on the Sunset Limited from Los Angeles to Mobile, AL six years after this happened without having a clue about this horrific incident. That water is vile, with many poisonous snakes. The delay in the rescue is the true tragedy.
The Sunset Limited actually had two very bad accidents. This one and one that happened after this.
At the time of this disaster I was a Mobile County Sheriffs Deputy and also worked with the Flotilla as a Diver. I will never forget this accident as long as I live. It was like a scene out of Apocalypse Now. Ironically, shortly after this accident I became employed as a Conductor for CSX and also took trains over Bayou Canot after they rebuilt the bridge. NOTE: They placed a bronze plaque with the names of the victims on the new bridge. I also met the crew of the Southbound CSX Train that was waiting in the Hurricane Landing Siding. They were instructed to cut-off their engines and proceed south looking out for Amtrak. The Dispatcher was trying to locate where they were to send help. The Conductor of the Amtrack Train only had his handheld radio and did not know where he was in the Delta Span. When I became a Conductor for CSX, I made it a habit of using binoculars to inspect the rails at distance for obstructions and bent rails. I have some videos of my train trips on UA-cam Channel "Southern Stories" . I love this guys channel and wish I had his voice too.
How do you mean vile? Is it polluted? Also is the railway bridge still there?
@@davidbond8139as someone who lives in South Alabama, born and raised there, I can answer your question with 0 bs.
In some parts, mainly around cities, people throw their garbage and stuff in the water. It's been mostly cleaned up from what I see daily but you could still get cut on broken glass in the shallower parts of, say, the Chattahoochee river. That's if you're brave enough to jump into the river though.
Water moccasins love our rivers, swamps and damn near anywhere with water. And they're very poisonous. You don't really have to worry about them though as if you don't disturb them you'll be fine, and if you get bit most hospitals have the antivenin for every snake around.
People like to joke and scare people that aren't from Alabama with stories of deadly wildlife, same as the Everglades, but your only real danger in terms of swimming in the river or going down it in a boat is the current. After it gets done raining you'd best stay out of the river or you'll get taken off by it.
@@davidbond8139it's not good wording. I believe they just mean dark and scary especially if not used to it.
Y'all, I cannot explain how scary that area is regarding the wildlife there. Alabama has 6 varieties of venomous snakes, gators, sharks and gars, bears, and even cougars and bobcats. I've been in that area before and as beautiful as it is, I would be absolutely mortified in that area in the dark of the night and in the water. Beautiful state and really nice people too. If you visit with the older generations, you are almost guaranteed to eat a meal with them before you leave, not another day but they will offer to feed you their homemade food for lunch or supper during the very day you are visiting with them. God's people. 💛
"So we've got to worry about alligators and snakes?" "And sharks. Don't forget the sharks." "Because it wasn't bad enough, you just had to add sharks. Thanks."
I live 45 minutes West in Biloxi, Mississippi. We have the same wildlife. I’ve never heard anyone describe it as scary. Neat.
@@crazydrummer181
About how many of your relatives have you had intercourse with?
Im pretty sure with all the commotion, large amounts of people, fire ect most of that dangerous fauna would have deserted the immediate area pretty fast.
gars are deadly?
Thank you for covering this topic, Fascinating horror.
As a train enthusiast ever since I was a kid, this is my second favorite train disaster topic, behind the 1998 ICE train crash at Eschede. It still blows my mind to think that so many parameters led to the disaster, but if just one of them had been omitted, the crash likely would have been prevented. Most notably the train signal staying green, even though the rails had been bent by 38 inches.
Thanks for making these videos for us each week! They're always high quality and I'm sure they take you quite a while.
Yes
Oh God, a boat wreck, railroad cars falling, people trapped, bridge collapsing, water rising, fuel all over and everything catching fire.
Then someone says, "Watch out for the alligators and snakes."
And you're like, "Seriously?"
What a nightmare.
Yeah, one thing the video didn't account for was cotton mouths 🫣 imagine getting drug to safety just for one to swim out and nip you right as you're reaching the bank
I know your comment’s old but I wouldn’t be so scared of the gators. I’ve never seen one in the wild but I know they don’t like fights, and any of the insane stories (like the Japanese army eaten going through a swamp in WWII) are crocodiles. They’re like alligators surviving on roids and hatred.
Water snakes? Big F no. I’d bet money I could have a broken neck and be unable to move my arms or legs, but still try swimming with my tongue.
I've been under this bridge in a boat , and it is barely high enough for a boat to get under it. There is a memorial to this disaster,but it is next to the tracks on railroad property. Thanks for the video ; nice to see this covered.
I grew up in Alabama and remember when this happened. Hopefully with modern radar and GPS, a mistake like this will never happen again.
Makes you really appreciate modern GPS. They weren't even carrying maps and a compass, though, so doubtful they would have spent the extra money.
@@henryturnerjr3857 nowadays this could likely be avoided with the tech on a smartphone
@@bartfoster1311Yea you can get free or cheap charts on Android nowadays.
@@bartfoster1311Shouldn't be driving with a phone in your hand
That's a pretty wicked looking intersection between the two rivers, seems like you could miss the Mobile River in broad daylight, much less a foggy night.
This is just tragic. A string of events that combined to enable this accident. I feel so bad for Mr. Odem.
From the linked article:
He doesn't talk about that night. For five years he has avoided reporters. His first interview took place in his living room Sept. 3 and lasted about half an hour.
"I wish I never had that accident," he said in the living room of his scuffed, brick home on a Grand Bay dirt road. "I had a good job, good money to raise my family. I used to tell my mother, `I should take me a gun and end all my troubles.' "
Such a sad story for all.
That is so heartbreaking!!
That is heartbreaking, I hope he is doing better now. None of it was his fault, he was doing his best. I hope he can accept that someday.
I remember this episode of Forensic Files. Love how you humanized the pilot, other barge crew members, and the experiences of the rail crew. Like always, you bring something new to everything you create :)
I really liked the map at the start. Really put into perspective where this happened. Great change!
One semi correction regarding the end of the video. Mobile and Amtrak are in the process of reopening passenger trains in the area. I like train's and have been seeing this in the news. You can easily take a look at articles regarding Amtrak going back to passenger train service in the area if you're interested. For clarification, this is not a dig at the channel. Excellent channel, no doubt. Just providing additional information for the viewers. 💛
So does the railway bridge take freight trains currently?
@@davidbond8139 Hwy! I railfan in Mobile and yes that bridge is still run with freight trains daily
Good stuff. I'd love to be able to go to NOLA on the train again. I do hope they make some adjustments to the routing, though; while the scenic quality is high, that stretch is just too susceptible to weather related damage.
However the Sunset Limited will still terminate in N.O. The trains from Mobile to NOLA later this year are commuters and will carry you to the station on Tulane.
@@STho205 intercity trains, not commuter ones.
He never worked in the water again. I bet that was heartbreaking to decide that. I respect that, we don’t trust ourselves enough to do the job. We leave and don’t come back. It takes guts to recognize that
I think I requested you cover this like 2 years ago, I'm so glad to finally see it. I can still remember Dad waking us up to move us to his bed before leaving to respond to the accident. He came back hours later saying there was nothing left for them to do and he would talk about it in the morning, but he never did. We learned about what actually happened from the newspapers and it was the first 'mass casualty incident' I was ever aware of.
I too misread the title as "canoe." My heart aches for Mr. Odom. He did his best given horrific circumstances and acted heroically in his efforts to aid the injured. I hope he has gotten some help and is able to enjoy life. And many thank yous, great narrator, for another tale told with your steady voice and utmost respect to all involved.
I remember this because at the time I was planning a rail tour of the US. I kind of went off the idea after this and finally did the tour last year 30 years later.
I love how you always feel so kindly and gently with the people involved in these tragedies. Like others I was struck by the experience of the pilot and how he couldn't make his life work very well after the tragedy even though he was cleared of wrongdoing. Once again you bring to light the mistakes and flaws and systems that cause this event and yet leave us very much focused on the humans involved and their humanity. Thanks again for these lovely films. Even when terrible things happen in your documentaries, they almost always leave me feeling better after watching them. I really appreciate that.
I exist between Mr.Ballen and Scary Interesting and Fascinating Horror. Always looking forward to a new video here, thanks so much!!
Hey me too. Both are absolute great story tellers!!
Mr. Ballen that is...
I like Mr Ballen , but sometimes his vids are just too darn loooong. I prefer Kristian's (FH's creator) approach personally. As for Scary Interesting, he's good but his music is too repetitive and sometimes gets to be too much.
In 1995, saboteurs derailed the Sunset Limited near Harqua, Arizona aswell. The train is still running today but it has a colorful past for sure.
And it was a copy of a sabotage to the City of San Francisco UP train in 1939.
Surprised you didn’t mention that better signage was added along the waterways of the area including signs spanning Big Bayou Canot to prevent other ships accidentally going up the river again
I was very relieved to hear that the Captain wasn't found guilty for anything. This was truly a tragedy.
I was in the US Marines when this happened, I remember reading about the US Marine dive teams that were sent in to help with recovery efforts.
At the time of this disaster I was a Mobile County Sheriffs Deputy and also worked with the Flotilla as a Diver. I will never forget this accident as long as I live. It was like a scene out of Apocalypse Now. Ironically, shortly after this accident I became employed as a Conductor for CSX and also took trains over Bayou Canot after they rebuilt the bridge. NOTE: They placed a bronze plaque with the names of the victims on the new bridge. I also met the crew of the Southbound CSX Train that was waiting in the Hurricane Landing Siding. They were instructed to cut-off their engines and proceed south looking out for Amtrak. The Dispatcher was trying to locate where they were to send help. The Conductor of the Amtrack Train only had his handheld radio and did not know where he was in the Delta Span. When I became a Conductor for CSX, I made it a habit of using binoculars to inspect the rails at distance for obstructions and bent rails. I have some videos of my train trips on UA-cam Channel "Southern Stories" . I love this guys channel and wish I had his voice too.
Appreciate the true crime videos my man
Especially when im going through a hangover at around 4am
Your videos make suffering through alcoholism possible
I appreciate you. Thanks.
Edit: to anyone who suggests rehab, i would, but its terribly expensive, especially since i have no insurance at the moment. Anyone who cares to read this, just know i appreciate your sympathy :)
Keep getting through each day at a time, it's a path of many tiny victories. This random internet stranger is proud of you.
If you have a setback, I hope you don't, but if you do, that's just one step back and you can start again, it doesn't erase your progress.
I wish you the very best
Hi, I know it's unbelievably difficult when you are without insurance, but are you able to do AA or anything? Cutting down gradually is the thing, it's dangerous to go cold turkey. I'm in the UK, so I'm not up to speed with what resources you have available to you.
I just wanted to say please please keep trying. I lost my Mum a couple of months ago - the knock on effects of her drinking ended up taking her life far too early. Do everything you can so that you don't leave heartbroken people like me behind. ❤
Thats awful that you have to rely on insurance to get help. I'm so sorry. Here in the UK I am in recovery, so is my husband. not for alcohol. But Its the same organisation. I just went to my doctors, and they did everything, I do have to pay for my prescription, but that's only because I work, if you don't work you can get free prescription. We take it for granted I think, I really hope you can find resources to help you. ❤
It's difficult, but all of us are proud of you for trying! Just be as safe as possible, and if you have to go to the hospital, then there are workarounds for getting the bill lowered
It's worth knowing most larger public hospitals and counties have both
- people who's sole job it is to get you to the right programs, financial forms, and assistance
- grant based funding for providing community care (it's just often an ordeal to get)
It's also worth knowing you are neither required to go to emergency (as in emergency psych hold) nor specifically required to go into rehab/ inpatient mental health to be seen by a physician and receive necessary support
All I'm really trying to say is, there's more than just two or three options here. I know addiction often makes people feel less powerful and their worlds seem smaller. I sincerely wish you peace and continued strength.
As someone who lived in the Mobile (thank you for pronouncing it correctly) area most of their life, I heard very little about Amtrak and hadn't heard about this accident until last year as I wasn't alive when it happened. As you mentioned, Mobile still doesn't have Amtrak, but it seems they've been in talks to get the New Orleans--Mobile route back up for a few years now. Thank you for your (as always) respectful and informative coverage of this tragedy and may the victims, survivors, and their families have peace.
He pronounced "Mobile" correctly? Wow! Thank you for letting us know! I stand corrected after saying it wrong my entire life, based on other people's mispronunciation! Never been to Alabama, but I've definitely learned something today!
I asked for this one a while back . I’m glad you found the time to do it . Another avoidable tragedy 👍😊🏴
I worked for a commercial diving company in Fairhope Alabama, we were hired by the state of Alabama to rig the wrecked train cars for lifting.
They were still recovering bodies.
I live across the bay from Mobile! I was here when this happened as well, but I was a kid. Cool to see my favorite channel cover something so close to home.
I thought this was already covered until I realised I'm subscribed to so many disaster channels I don't know which ones have covered which disaster.
Like almost all major accidents this was caused by a whole string of factors, any one of which if changed would have prevented this outcome. Ultimately though in my opinion the major one was that the bridge had been left so that with even a smallish jolt it could be swung enough out of place to derail a train - but not enough to break the tracks triggering a danger warning.
As for the delays to the train by the toilet and air conditioner repairs, if THAT train had passed safely by before the accident then I'm pretty sure the next train across would have been the unlucky one as in the fog and at night the damage to the railway bridge would have been likely to remain unrecognised.
I was working in an office in Scott Paper Mill at Magazine Point just below the accident that day. We watched barges and boats bring the dead and removed debris to the pulpwood docks all day.
this is really one of those murphy's law type of situation, the captain was doing his best with the equipment and training he had and the train engineer also did the best with what he had because their security system wasn't able to alert them of the accident, good to know the boat's captain was not only absolved but also that he was part of the rescue efforts unlike many other captains from other known disasters who are the first to flee even without giving any warning to crew and passengers
The 9-1-1 call audio or at least portions of it have been played in various documentaries and that audio is absolutely haunting. I don't blame the pilot at all and it is good that he wasn't made a scapegoat, though, I thought I read somewhere on this, that the bridge either didn't have or wasn't required to have, too many warning systems on it. That being said the fog was so dense it IMO would not have mattered though
This one was heart breaking. Mostly because it's typically some person acting recklessly or with care and does something stupid that leads to disaster--which I was waiting to hear in this one--except, as you kept talking and describing the measures this guy took, as well as how he commanded himself afterwards to try and save people, AND that he was a broken man after this is just...ugh.
I watch this channel often. I did not expect to watch a video that happened in my home. I was a one year old when this happened.
I feel so bad for Willie!! He did everything he could do and more. He is a hero in all senses of the word. He shouldn't feel broken at all!! He's a hero!! God bless him and everything he did to help those people!
I know this story well. You told it with great care.😢 Well done.
Great video! One small correction, as someone from Alabama: the city and port of Mobile is pronounced "mo-BEEL". A lot of people who aren't from here assume it's pronounced like the word mobile, as in "mobile phone", but the stress is on the second syllable.
I still remember hearing the words by the guy who burned in the documentary by the history channel. Oh boy did that give me chills
If I remember correctly he was reciting the Lord's prayer as it happened. And yes still chilling to think about
Love your channel. The music is menacing. This is a terrifying story. The dark, the water , the snakes and gators, the flames. Like being plunged into hell.
The music is pleasantly appropriate, even though repetitious. Not a fan of crescendoing violins like my heart is already to jump outta my chest. My PTSD, my bad but your music never offends, it's dark but sparky.
I always look forward to a Tuesday morning video by FH
Tuesday evening for me👍
Things about this channel that make me happy:
1. The voice is always the same, east to listen to and well paced without going into "storyteller" territory.
2. The captions are always correct, present, and well timed.
3. The photos are interesting and informative without being repetitive
4. There are no images of the dead, but when there is firsthand testimony he puts it in tastefully. It really humanizes the people in the disaster.
5. He includes necessary background information, the aftermath, the legal proceedings surrounding it and who was held accountable, if any laws were affected by the disaster, and how the victims were memorialized, and does it in under 15 minutes almost every time. Precise, thoughtful, efficient.
6. If it's manageable, the victim's names and ages are included. Again, humanizing.
7. Doesn't make the assumption the listener is familiar with the UK/USA and gives background information on these places that others completely leave out.
8. Predictable! The same format, cadence, and posting time each week. This is just a thing that makes my autistic little brain happy
Willie Odom went to work at a lumber mill after this accident, avoiding the water altogether. The guilt he carried weighed on him heavily and affected his health. He passed away in 2013 at only 55 years old. :(
May he rest in the peace for which he so longed.
Wow. Talk about a series of unfortunate events. My heart goes out to them all.
We appreciate your insights on this matter. You'll always have our support.
Oh man, all those people. I feel bad for the captain too. He was a broken man after that, I feel that. Great video 🙂
Thank you for making this video. This is well known in railroad circles, but very little known elsewhere. And the ramifications still affect American train travel today.
I'm always attracted to posts on this channel, for their research, clarity, and dry delivery. Thanks always.
Amazing story, poor Willie. Fog is deadly.
Aww, so sad all around. I can't imagine the horror of hearing a friend in mortal danger and being unable to help. It would be devastating to be a part of the cause of the accident. I hope they all find peace.
If there was any ultimate negligence in this, it was both the Alabama state government and the boat company for leaving a failing bridge in place like that, and not giving the towboats proper navigational equipment for low-visibility conditions. The pilot was doing just about everything right - he was just in the wrong place, had no way of knowing he was in the wrong place, and hit a bridge that took only a slight nudge to fail completely.That the bridge-down signal circuit ALSO failed due to the nature of the failure, was nobody's fault at all. It made the whole thing a truly freak accident.
Very sorry that the pilot suffered like that. I can't imagine the nightmare he had to go through. He didn't want anyone to die. He did all he could to save lives, at great personal risk. And he simply had neither the equipment nor training to prevent the disaster. It was set up by people with far higher pay grades than his.
If you want to do any more stories on train drawbridge accidents, you could cover the 1853 drawbridge disaster in Norwalk, Connecticut, USA. That was part of the so-called "disaster year" of 1853 on American railroads, in which faster running times and denser scheduling caught up with poor building conditions and running practices, and marked the beginning of a rather deadly second half of the 19th century for US rails. Perhaps similar to how the '70s and '80s were comparatively deadly years in air travel; denser scheduling and bigger planes caught up with comparatively primitive navigational practices.
Live in Mobile, and never heard of this disaster, but glad you covered it.
Oh damn, going into the wrong river was a VERY easy mistake to make in this situation. Like other comments said; a ton of problems lining up perfectly to create disaster. Also, his belief that he was going to get punished severely for an accident has everything to do with being a person of colour, especially in the south. But clearly, he’s a good man. I hope he can find the support he needs.
I didnt realise you hit 1 mil subs! congrats, love the content.
So glad I have something to listen to while it's 230 AM and I'm the only one up ❤
Not here in Melbourne, Australia. It’s 9:49pm Tuesday night!
Thank you for covering this accident. I remember seeing it on Seconds From Disaster and being terrified and saddened. I would still want to ride an Amtrak train one day though since I know such tragedies are rare.
Forensic Files covered this some time ago, but there are more personal accounts in this video. The bit included about Willie Odom is sad, despite that he was legally cleared of wrong-doing.. I can sense the additional fear (which sounds inspired by fear of racism) in his statements to the crew member..
I live a town over from Mobile and was 12 years old when this happened. I remember listening to WABB when I woke up that morning to the "local" news of a railroad crash. I didn't realize how big a deal it was till much later. Here we call it the Sunset limited disaster.
Good fascinating morning, FH. Finally a story from my home state here in the United States.
Thanks for another sympathetic and restrained video.
1:44 Those pictures gave me instant vibes from the first Jurassic park movie. Kinda ironic.
the people that got ate by alligators thoughts as well
You are what I look forward to on Tuesdays, Kristian. Thank you for another story that is delicate towards all involved. You're a lovely storyteller.
A horrifying detail I didn't notice in this video: Everyone in the locomotive died because the entire car was completely buried in the mud. That's why you hear about people in the crew quarter being burned alive, but you don't hear anything about anyone driving the train.
Thanks!
Thank you!
Good to hear the pilot wasn't made into a scapegoat. Although it is irritating that the Sunset Limited still hasn't been properly restored to its entire route since Katrina. It's been 19 years! That's more than enough time to rebuild!
Amtrak wasnt interested and CSX downgraded and sold sections of the line between Mobile and Jacksonville.
@@MarceloBenoit-trenes Ofc Amtrak wasn't interested. They choose track paths that miss major cities - meaning less people traveling on their trains.
Amtrak has priority - if they want, they can definitely negotiate along different routes that serve major cities. But then they'd have to run more trains cuz the demand would be higher.
I’ve watched so many of these, and it rlly adds a sense of peace to know what, in each instance, they’ve done to prevent it from happening again❤
Thanks for your comtent
This story could make a really good movie!
I remember this incident pretty well from my childhood. My father worked for CXS freight so we were always pretty informed about railway accidents, and I had family in Pensacola which is very close to Mobile. I had forgotten a number of details since I was a kid, but I always remembered how terrifying it must have been to be on scene for that accident - a train hurtling into a swamp at high-speed in pitch darkness? Trying to fathom that experience is the sort of thing that will keep you awake at night.
That pilot was a hero! R I P to all those who died.
hero? a DEI hire that wasn't even fully qualified for the job a hero? he should have been in jail for negligent manslaughter of over 40 people. what are you smoking?!
OMG you did it. Thank you for this. I have been to this derailment spot 20 times. They have a memorial on the side of the tracks. This is a case of if it can go but it did go bad.
The city of Mobile went a step further and added red warning lights on the railway bridge to warn water craft both of its existence and also to not enter that water way. There were no lights on the bridge prior to the accident.
wow huh? Deep dark woods and trying to do that rescue. Mr. Odom, we salute you... hope you're still around to read of most of us appreciate your sincere efforts even if you thought you'd get the Pen. Hero all the way and the naysayers can take it up with me.
I've been on the Sunset Limited before, although I got off in Texas. it's a great ride, thru some truly spectacular scenery. this story makes me feel so sorry for Willie Odem -- he did the best he could with what knowledge and equipment he had.
After taking a class with the diver master on this operation he said there wasn't a snake or gator around for miles due to the sound of the crash
13 minutes, you've broken the record on this channel. Love your videos. :)
Glad he was cleared of any wrongdoing. It was a combination of:
Fate (Train was delayed for maintenance & track not broken)
Poor management (He wasn't properly trained to read radar)
Poor maintenance (train bridge not completed or secured)
Nowadays, they just like to blame others for their mistakes and why people dont want to work anymore
People absolutely want to work, but some employers don't want to pay? In a tight job market, cheapskate employers go wanting.
Don't forget weather conditions (Fog that made visibility limited). That was a major reason to why this tragedy occured.
I love this channel!!!! I think ive watched every single video!!! You have some of the most interesting videos on you tube !!! ❤❤❤❤
3:28 - just like the pilot of the barge, I did not see the train coming!
For real, when you hear "boat crash" you do *not* think of "train" as a possible other participant!
I remember seeing this on TV but not understanding exactly what had happened because I was only five at the time. Not understanding why people drowned instead of swimming out of the cars or how fire could dance on water (a child's mind is so innocent, isn't it?). I can't imagine what those people went through, or how Willie dealt with his overwhelming guilt. So many little things came together to make one big disaster. I hope that everyone affected by this disaster finds peace.