JAMUL, Calif.—U.S. Border Patrol agents rescued an injured man from Otay Mountain late Monday night.
The incident began at approximately 11:30 p.m., when Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue (BORSTAR) agents encountered and apprehended a group of four undocumented migrants while patrolling the remote wilderness area on Otay Mountain.
While canvassing the immediate area, one of the agents heard calls for help. Locating the source, the agent found a 41-year-old Mexican national who had fallen approximately 15 feet down a waterfall onto a rocky surface. The injured man told agents he had entered the U.S. illegally with two other men, but was abandoned after falling and becoming immobilized.
BORSTAR agents conducted a rapid medical assessment of the man and discovered his left foot was severely damaged from the fall. Due to the remote location and limited accessibility of the area, agents stabilized and litter-carried the man, heading for an area that was more accessible to emergency medical services (EMS).
injured migrant before carrying
him off Otay Mountain to
awaiting EMS personnel.
For approximately an hour, the BORSTAR agents carried the man through the dark, harsh terrain until they reached a safe extraction point. They transferred the man to a waiting EMS unit, which transported him to a nearby hospital. The four undocumented aliens, who had been apprehended previously, were transported to a nearby Border Patrol station for processing.
“Our agents go to great lengths to help others,” said San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke. “If not for their grit and selflessness, this situation could have ended much worse.”
To prevent the illicit smuggling of humans, drugs, and other contraband, the U.S. Border Patrol maintains a high level of vigilance on corridors of egress away from our Nation’s borders. To report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol, contact San Diego Sector at (619) 498-9900.