A survivor of the deadly Amtrak derailment in Montana has told how he managed to make it out of the wreck alive by clinging onto a table bolted to the floor as the upturned train was dragged along the tracks.
Wayne Freed, 70, was among the 141 passengers traveling on the Seattle-bound Empire Builder train on Saturday when it suddenly derailed outside of Joplin, Montana, killing three people and injuring dozens.
In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, the retired college professor recalled grabbing a small coffee table and holding on for dear life to keep him from falling through the glass windows after the train tipped over.
Freed, who's from Upstate New York, said he was mid-way through the 45-hour trip and was passing through scenic north-central Montana on a beautiful day.
He had just returned from his sleeper car to retrieve his cell phone charger and was relaxing in the lounge car, an area of the train with swivel seats and large windows to enjoy the views along the way.
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Three people were killed and more than 50 were injured in Joplin, Montana on Saturday after an Amtrak train traveling from Chicago to Seattle when it suddenly derailed
The westbound Empire Builder was en route to Seattle from Chicago, with two locomotives and 10 cars, when it left the tracks about 4pm on Saturday
Freed was enjoying the beautiful views of north-central Montana in the Empire Builder's lounge car, also known as the observation car, when the train went off the tracks. Pictured: Stock photo of the sightseer lounge car of the California Zephyr Amtrak train
'I wanted to be in this car as we were going to be soon entering into Glacier National Park to see the sites and I wanted to take some pictures,' he told DailyMail.com.
But just minutes after plugging in his cell phone and taking a seat, Freed said he suddenly felt a big jolt and could 'hear and feel the train wheels dragging across the rocks on the side of the train tracks.'
He said it felt like everything was in slow motion as the train car slowly started to tip over to about a 45-degree angle.
'I thought it was going to stop at this point, but it didn't.'
Wayne Freed, 70, was among the 141 passengers traveling on a Seattle-bound Amtrak train on Saturday when it suddenly derailed outside of Joplin, Montana
That's when Freed said he noticed a coffee table in the lounge car bolted to the floor and used it as an anchor.
'I grabbed onto it to hold myself up, by this time the car had completely tipped over on it's side but was still moving. The table was now horizontal instead of vertical.
'The train car's windows were now below my feet and I didn't want to stand on them as I was worried, they were going to break out.
'My legs are dangling down, about two feet under me are windows, which should be the side window but are now on the floor.
'Then all of the windows below me started breaking out because of the track ballast was hitting into them. Glass and rocks were flying everywhere.
'It seemed like the entire derailment last about two minutes but it was more like 15 seconds.
He believes the train was traveling at normal track speed, 79mph.
When the train finally came to a stop, Freed said the entire car was consumed with dust and he could hardly see.
But even in the midst of the chaos, he doesn't remember many people yelling or screaming.
Freed shared photos of the aftermath with DailyMail.com. The retired professor said the entire crash occurred in 15 seconds
Five out of the 12 cars of the Empire Builder derailed, with the last three cars detached completely from the rest of them
Various views of the derailed Amtrak train Empire Builder in a remote part of Northern Montana in between the towns of Chester and Joplin
'People were calling out to see if anyone was hurt, most of the people including myself I think we're in a state of shock,' he said.
When the dust settled, Freed and several of the passengers in his car exited through the broken windows.
He said: 'There was about a two-foot clearance, but we were a little hesitant because we were worried the car which was now on its side could roll down the embankment and we would all be crushed.'
Recalling the incident from a Super 8 Motel in Cardon, Montana, some 50 miles from the accident, Freed said: 'The lounge car is the place to be in if you are traveling by train, it's mostly glass.
'The glass starts at your knees and goes all the way up to the ceiling.
'But it's not the place to be for a derailment, but other than that it's a great place.'
Freed added: 'At the time I wasn't worried I was going to die, I was in survival mode.
'Now that I've had some time to think about it, it could have been much worse. I was pretty sure if I didn't hold onto the table I could have dropped through the broken windows and at the very least I could have at least been severely hurt.'
Freed said he escaped with minimal injuries, bruises on his legs from grasping onto the coffee table.
He did see some people with other injuries but wasn't sure of the extent of them.
Five out of the 12 cars of the Empire Builder derailed, with the last three cars detached completely from the rest of them.
Freed revealed he's a train aficionado and had traveled on Amtrak trains and the Chicago to Seattle route countless times before the derailment.
'I've been on every Amtrak train has, and have ridden this route several times. I've been riding Amtrak since 1974 and have traveled more than 100,000 miles,' he said.
This derailment isn't going to stop him from getting back onto a train: 'I'm ready to get back on a train.'
Sarah Robbin Liberty County Montana Disaster Service Coordinator, told DailyMail.com they received calls for help around 3:57pm on Saturday and several responders arrived at the scene with minutes of the 911 call.
Robbin said of the 143 passengers and 13 crew members who were on board, there were three fatalities and approximately 50 people send to local area hospital, five are still hospitalized in stable condition.
It is suspected that the train derailed near the switch at East Buelow. Pictured: People use ladders to climb up the side of train cars to help trapped passengers escape
The cause of the derailment is unclear and still under investigation, officials said
Amtrak's Empire Builder derailed near Joplin, Montana around 4pm MST
'The train tracks which are owned by BSNF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC) were just inspected on September 23rd,' continued Robbin.
While Freed and most of the other passengers where able to escape any serious injuries there were three fatalities.
One of three people killed was identified as Missouri engineer Zach Schneider, 28, who was headed for a vacation to Portland, Oregon with his wife Becca.
Zach, who was from St. Louis and worked for payments firm Stripe, was killed after several of the train cars left the tracks and toppled over onto their sides.
He was identified by a GoFundMe page set up to raise money for his funeral.
Becca, 26, was traveling with him but survived. She has since posted photos of herself with her late spouse on Facebook, but has not commented.
Family friend Caleb Morris, who created the page, paid tribute to Schneider by saying he was one of the 'sweetest, smartest, and most unique people I know.'
'Zach always used this to push for a better world where everyone was included. I have always respected his ability to think differently. Thankful to have been blessed by knowing you, Zach,' wrote
