One person was killed and two others were injured Saturday evening when they were struck by a train along the Gaviota coast, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
Emergency personnel were called out at about 6 p.m. to Vista Point, near Arroyo Hondo, on a report that pedestrians had been hit by an Amtrak train, Fire Department spokesman Mike Eliason said.
A group of four people — two men and two women — were on the train trestle taking pictures when a southbound Amtrak train approached, Eliason said.
He said the group, who reportedly were foreign students, tried to get off the trestle, which bridges a deep coastal canyon, but were struck by the passenger train.
One woman was knocked from the trestle and declared dead at the scene, Eliason said.
Another woman suffered moderate injuries, and was taken by American Medical Response ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
One of the men had major injuries to his upper extremities and head, and was airlifted to the hospital by a Calstar helicopter, Eliason said
The fourth person was not injured, he said, and drove himself to the hospital to be with his companions.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.