An excavator operator was hospitalized with minor injuries after their equipment fell through a washed-out section of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks along the Gaviota Coast on Tuesday morning.
Santa Barbara County Fire officials say crews responded to the medical emergency near Highway 101 and Arroyo Quemada Beach at 7:50 a.m.
When crews arrived, they discovered an excavator that had been clearing debris from the tracks had fallen approximately 10 feet through a section of railroad that was damaged by floodwaters.
The operator was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries, according to fire officials.
The railroad tracks remain closed following the incident.
