CP derailment in British Columbia kills 3 crew members

A Canadian Pacific grain train derailed early yesterday near Field, British Columbia, resulting in the deaths of the train's three crew members.

The deceased were identified as conductor Dylan Paradis, engineer Andrew Dockrell and trainee Daniel Waldenberger-Bulmer, according to a statement issued by CP President and Chief Executive Officer Keith Creel.

At about 1 a.m. Mountain time, the accident occurred between the Upper and Lower Spiral Tunnels just east of Field. The train, which had three locomotives and 112 cars, left the track while crossing a bridge over the Kicking Horse River and fell about 197 feet into the river below, according to Canadian news reports.

Canada's Transportation Safety Board deployed a team of investigators to the site yesterday and planned to address the news media today, the agency said.

The railroad is working closely with Parks Canada and other agencies to ensure the environment was not negatively affected by the accident, Creel said.

"Recovering will be complex and challenging given the remote location and the extreme weather, but with collaboration and communication, we will get there," he said.

The "entire railroad family" is mourning the crew members' deaths, Creel added.

"In the hours ahead we remain focused on employee safety and the safety of our first responders, in addition to working closely with the families of the deceased and all our employees," he said. "This is a tragedy that will have a long-lasting impact on our family of railroaders. The incident is under investigation and we will not speculate at this time on a cause — we owe it to those involved to get it right."