STARVING CAMPER RESCUED BY SKUNK ENGINEER, PASSENGER WILLITS, CA -- Too weak to walk, a starving man crawled and rolled his way through the redwoods to the Skunk Train railroad tracks, where he was saved by a passing Christmas Train. John Harrington, who had been camping in the hills about seven miles west of Willits, was at least sixty pounds underweight, seeing double, and unable to hold himself upright. As if that weren't enough, he was outside, in the dark, and in near-freezing temperatures. On Sunday, December 17, Harrington rolled down a hill to the tracks and lay in an adjacent gulley. There, he waved two flashlights in a cross-signal pattern, hoping a train would spot him. Skunk Train engineer Clint Watkins, running the Christmas Train special back to the Willits Depot, picked up the signal. "At first, I thought the light was a reflection of the Christmas lights on our train," Watkins said. The engineer, who is also an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician), managed to slow down several tons of rolling iron and steel in order to have a closer look. Discovering the source of the signal, he joined forces with a registered nurse among the passengers and lifted the emaciated man onto the train. Realizing it would be dangerous to wait for a return to the Willits Depot, Watkins phoned for an ambulance that would meet the train at the next road crossing. "They got him to the nearest road and rushed him to nearest hospital," reported Skunk Train President Chris Hart. At Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital, Harrington was treated for hypothermia and starvation."The emergency room doctors feel that that if it wasn't for the Christmas Train rolling by, Mr. Harrington may not have made it," said Anthony Stahl, the hospital's director of marketing. "This is a wonderful Christmas story! We're pleased as a hospital to be a small part of that story and Mr. Harrington's recovery. It could have ended tragically." A photo by The Willits News here: [extras.mnginteractive.com] As of yesterday morning, Harrington was still hospitalized. After many days without eating, he's having trouble keeping his food down. He appears, however, to be recovering - and he's definitely able to speak. According to Stahl, he expressed gratitude for the Skunk Train and for "all those who are helping me." Hart is proud that his train was there when it was and that the engineer behaved as he did. Stahl points out the motto of the 75-year old hospital is "neighbors helping neighbors." Reportedly, Harrington plans to return to the hills when he's back on his feet. Doctors are urging him to pack in a larger supply of food or to return to civilization more often. If all goes well, he'll be able to watch the train go by without putting out a call for help. The passengers may or may not see Harrington, but they will see massive redwoods, dramatic hillclimbs, and the increasing light as the train exits a dark tunnel. Excursion runs on the 122-year old Skunk Train are considered among the ten best railroad trips in North America. The Skunk is owned by Sierra Railroad Company of Davis, which also operates the Sierra Railroad Dinner Train and Sacramento RiverTrain. Sierra also has freight operations throughout Northern California and is involved in renewable energy projects. - Claudia Reed, The Willits News
