diff --git a/analysis/particleContainer.py b/analysis/particleContainer.py
index 12f8dc42ce5c3c04da6c3caae5962b54f73b0372..e51e857b7fbcb26ccfdf7e3815e1d2e2530cf628 100644
--- a/analysis/particleContainer.py
+++ b/analysis/particleContainer.py
@@ -159,7 +159,12 @@ class ParticleContainer(object):
         particle.setAllSpectraToNewAssignment(newAssignment)
     
     def getParticleOfIndex(self, index):
-        particle = self.particles[index]
+        try:
+            particle = self.particles[index]
+        except:
+            print('failed getting particle')
+            print('requested Index:', index)
+            print('len particles', len(self.particles))
         assert particle.index == index, f'particle.index ({particle.index}) does match requested index in particleList ({index})' 
         return particle