A train went off the tracks in remote Mesa County on Tuesday night, crashing into a remote stretch of the Gunnison River with two people on board.

According to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, a call about the derailment was received at about 11 p.m. on December 2. The report came from Union Pacific Railroad, noting that the train had left the tracks between Highway 141 in Whitewater and the Bridgeport access to the Gunnison River, which is located near the Mesa-Delta County line. While two engineers were on the train at the time of the derailment, no injuries were reported in that initial call for help.

Per a report from Colorado Public Radio, the derailment involved two locomotives and five traincars filled with coal. Heavy snow was present in the area at the time, but weather wasn’t noted as a factor in what caused the train to leave the tracks – the derailment was attributed to a rockslide.

The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office sprang into action to assess the situation, utilizing a drone to locate the exact location of the locomotive. The location of the train was difficult to access given the remote area and lack of nearby roads.

Employees of Union Pacific Railroad arrived early-on in the rescue process to assist in reaching the scene, providing a railroad vehicle to transport paramedics and Mesa County Search and Rescue personnel to the incident.

By 1:30 a.m. – 2.5 hours after the initial call for help – both engineers were rescued and transported back to a staging area.

Both Union Pacific Railroad and state resources are assisting in cleaning up the scene, also addressing further hazardous materials mitigation.

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