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N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Senator Heidi Heitkamp stood on the floor of the U.S. Senate to share the heroic story of Geoff Andersen of Larimore, N.D.

On December 30th, a grain train carrying soybeans to the Pacific Northwest derailed near Casselton, North Dakota due to an axle break on a car near the middle of the train. Immediately following, an Eastbound train carrying crude oil collided with the soybean car and exploded. Following the crash, Geoff Andersen and the crew of the Westbound grain train sprang into action.

Geoff, a former civilian firefighter for the Grand Forks Air Force Base, borrowed two radios and fire protection gear from the Casselton Fire Department. Tom Crooks, engineer and Geoff’s trainer, backed the rear engine of the train to reverse the locomotive towards the fire and connect the train to the other tanker cars of oil that were in danger of exploding. Geoff then connected the train to the cars. Once closer to the cars, Geoff pulled the pin on the closest tanker car, allowing the crews to pull more than 25 more cars away from the fire. Had it not been for Geoff’s heroics, the disaster would have been much worse.

There were no reported injuries in the derailments and explosions.