A conductor on a scenic Colorado train filled with passengers died when she was run over by the train as it was backing up, the Fremont County Sheriff's Office has said.
Leslie Cacy, 28, of Canon City, was standing near the rear of the Royal Gorge Railroad train Saturday evening when she fell as it was backing up to the station about four miles away, the sheriff's office says in a statement on its Facebook page.
The train goes forward into the canyon, then backs up to return to the station in Canon City, sheriff's office spokeswoman Megan Richards said.
There were about 200 people on the train, authorities said. Another train was sent to pick up passengers who were on the train when the woman fell. An autopsy is planned later in the week.
The Royal Gorge is about 10 miles long, with the Arkansas River running through it and the railroad running along its banks. Its granite walls soar over 1,000 feet. The gorge has one of the nation's highest suspension bridges connecting both sides of the gorge, where thousands of tourists a year walk across and look over the edge, trying to spot rafters who take on some of the toughest whitewater routes in the country.
The railroad issued a statement yesterday on its Facebook page saying the company will not be running the train for the next few days, and anyone with reservations will get refunds or they can reschedule.
"We are a family run business, and our team members are like family to us. Our hearts are broken," railroad officials said in the statement.
The National Transportation Safety Board has been notified.
Investigator Randy Keller said the husband is very upset and asked that people "keep him in their thoughts and prayers."
The Royal Gorge bridge and park remain open, officials said.
