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T I realized my life was in danger arrived during my 20s, at a time when everything was beginning. My best friend, Helen, and I were headed to Blackburn to visit a former classmate who had made a new home there for work. Thrilled to see each other, and enjoying the thought of the upcoming weekend of fun, we talked incessantly as we made our way by train from York.

We stashed our bags – packed with necessities such as our favorite wines and my new pair of black clogs – above our heads and settled down in a snug pair of seats. Roughly halfway through our journey, I was faintly cognizant of a bang. This was followed by a second, now unmistakable. A female passenger shrieked as our carriage was thrown up into the air in what felt like a delayed sequence. Suddenly, Helen and I were somehow on our feet in the middle of the aisle, hugging each other. Head down, eyelids tightly closed, I anticipated the carriage to roll over and burst into flames, similar to cinematic scenes. My thoughts turned to our families and friends hearing the tragic update. Then I heard the child sobbing.

“You’re all right,” I whispered, my tone was hoarse. “It's finished now,” I stated, primarily to calm my own nerves.

Her age was roughly seven or eight, and seemed to be entirely alone. Her weeping jolted me from my stupor; this was my opportunity to be useful. I moved to where she was standing and gave her a reassuring hug. “Don't turn around,” Helen yelled, but it was already too late. I saw a man with his face covered in blood. An enormous piece of metal had penetrated the window behind us. Later, we found out a uncontrolled excavator had tumbled down the embankment and collided with the train, leading to the derailment.

Our carriage was stuck with its leading section elevated. Following that came of sirens and a man nearby instructed me to give the girl to him so he could pass her through the window, while young passengers were extracted to waiting firefighters. A few minutes later, Helen and I were similarly exiting of the train window and scaling a ladder down on to the track.

Standing on firm land again – adjacent to a storage building in Pudsey – my body started to shake uncontrollably. I looked for the little girl and observed her being embraced by her mother, who it turned out had been using the restroom during the incident. An emergency worker helpfully fetched my clogs. One of the passengers sat down heavily on Helen’s case, making it split apart – though luckily our wine remained intact. Following a 30-minute delay, we proceeded in a provided car to Blackburn, accompanied by a young man and the female passenger who had broken Helen’s case. Our friend was waiting, ashen-faced. She knew there had been a derailment and a railway official had escorted her to an office and prepared some tea for her while she anticipated updates.

Bolstered by youthful resilience, we pushed the derailment from our minds and proceeded with the social outing, which featured a notable act by Blackburn drag queen Clitheroe Kate. There were no fatalities in the incident, even though several people required hospital treatment. Helen and I sustained only bruises and soreness and discomfort from the violent forward motion in the carriage. The train had been slowing to enter Leeds station, which had been the primary reason in preventing major harm. Since nobody was badly hurt allowed us not to dwell on the “what ifs” but that young girl who changed my outlook profoundly. Taking care of her and calming her down helped take my mind off myself and showed me the value of looking outwards in a crisis. Over the years, I have repeatedly asked myself if she recalled any details, and what a major event it had been for her.

Helen and I have remained friends for over 30 years and That location's name now symbolizes for our capacity to handle any situation, so long as we are together. Being with her that day created the sensation that I was insulated from the most terrifying aspects. The accident additionally altered the way I approach various difficult situations, giving me perspective – and reinforcing the idea that, no matter how dire circumstances appear, it is invariably an honor to get older.