Lowell Yard Employees
Find Lost Boy
As Jim Olsen and Dave Melvin recently got ready to leave the Lowell Yard and go to lunch, a Lowell police officer stopped by. He asked them if they had seen a five-year-old boy in a red sweatsuit who had been reported missing.
They quickly radioed all switching crews in the area and told them to keep an eye open for the boy and report in if he was spotted. Olsen and Melvin then began a search of the nearby side roads.
Soon after, Engineer Jim Reardon radioed in that he had spotted the boy. With Reardon’s directions, Olsen and Melvin were able to locate the boy playing with a dog near a stream which happened to be several feet above its normal height, presenting a dangerous situation.
(L to R) Central Division Car Maintenance Assistant Manager Dave Melvin and Manager Jim Olsen stand near the stream where they found a lost five-year-old boy.
They cautiously approached the boy and asked him if he was lost, to which he replied, “No” and pointed to where his house was. Unfortunately, he was pointed in the opposite direction from where he lived.
Olsen and Melvin then radioed to District 2 dispatcher Mike Moretto to notify the Lowell police. The two stayed with the boy until the police arrived, despite his efforts to run off with the dog and get into a passing neighbor’s car.