Border Patrol Agents Rescue Drowning Man

CALEXICO, Calif. – U.S. Border Patrol agents from El Centro Sector rescued a drowning man from the All-American Canal Monday evening. 

At around 6:00 p.m., agents observed three individuals illegally enter the United States 12 miles east of the Calexico Port of Entry.  Agents responded to the area and saw three men swimming north in the canal.

Agents moved in and apprehended one individual, while the other two made an attempt to swim back south towards Mexico.

Agents noticed that one of the subjects was having difficulty swimming across the canal.  Agents called out to the individual and encouraged him to come back to the canal bank to avoid drowning.  The smugglers on the southern side of the canal called out to the subject, telling them to ignore the Border Patrol.

The agents deployed rescue devices near the man in attempt to pull him to safety, but they were unsuccessful.  The subject began to display signs of panic and physical exhaustion. Agents fearing this man life was in imminent danger, removed their body armor and duty belts to enter the water and save the subject.

The agents successfully pulled the subject to safety and placed him into a service vehicle in order to stabilize his body temperature. 

Agents then assessed the man, a 19-year-old Mexican national, for any other potential issues. The man declined further medical attention.

“Our Border Patrol agents disregarded the danger to their own lives the frigid, swift moving water posed and entered to save the life of a man they believed had just committed a crime,” said Assistant Chief Patrol Agent David Kim. “This is the type of selfless service our agents do regularly, no matter who is in need, to preserve the sanctity of human life.”

The two men were transported to El Centro station to be processed for illegal entry. 

The other individual absconded back to Mexico during the rescue.