Boy Scouts Hailed As Heroes For Their Rescue Effort In Amtrak Derailment In Missouri

In a tragic accident on June 27, 2022, an Amtrak train collided with a dump truck in Missouri, killing four people and hospitalizing 150 more. In the middle of investigations to determine how the crash happened, some good was determined: there were a few Wisconsin Boy Scouts on the train that are being acknowledged for their heroism.

The Southwest Chief on the Amtrak was traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago carrying 275 passengers and 12 crew members when tragedy struck. The crash caused two locomotives and eight cars to derail.

One of those people on board was Boy Scout Eli Skrypczak. And sure—while Boy Scouts are supposed to teach you life lessons, we’re not sure that this was what Eli had in mind. However, he still found himself springing to action when the crash occurred, saving people who might’ve died left and right.

“Getting people out of windows and carrying them down. I had to carry a couple of kids in my arms, two at a time,” he explained.

How did he know what to do? Eli says a rush of adrenaline was the real answer. “The adrenaline kicked in, and something took over and I knew what to do,” he said. “It was unreal. It still doesn’t seem real to me.”

When the train tipped, Eli said he “landed onto the other side of the seats as it tipped over.” And still, “it was people first,” he explained.

Eli’s other two fellow Boy Scouts, who are all teenagers, were also on board, and they also dove right in. “First thing I did was get out Boy Scouts and go over to the ditch to a truck driver and aided him with a police officer until he passed,” Eli explained.

Using their first aid expertise, Eli and the two others helped as many people as they could before paramedics arrived on the scene. When a few local farmers and passengers began to help too, Eli took charge as the leader to check to see if anyone needed anything.

“I started going down, making sure people were good,” Eli said. “I stabilized a couple of people on the ground, making sure they didn’t move.”

As for the adults in their troop, two of the eight aboard were injured and taken to the hospital, though their injuries were not life-threatening.

We can’t believe how these young heroes reacted in a time of chaos! Check out the video below to hear about what happened and how they were able to help.

How heroic are these boys? What would you do in their situation?