Distressed Woman in Canal Rescued by Border Patrol Agents

CALEXICO, Calif. – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the El Centro Sector rescued a suspected illegal alien from the All-American Canal east of Calexico early Wednesday morning.

The incident occurred at approximately 7:45 a.m., when agents assigned to patrol near the All-American Canal heard individuals yelling for help coming from the water.  Agents could see a woman was in distress and struggling to swim to the canal bank.  Agents responded immediately and successfully pulled the woman to safety.

Agents assessed the woman and noticed she was suffering from shock and had signs of hypothermia.  Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrived at the request of agents.  Once on scene the woman was transported immediately to a local hospital for further evaluation and treatment.

The woman was able to tell the agents who had just rescued her that she believed there was another person in the water that was having a hard time swimming.  The El Centro Sector Border Search Trauma and Rescue Team (BORSTAR) was notified and responded to the area.

BORSTAR divers began their search of the canal and found a deceased individual a few hours later below the surface of the water.

“For the second time in three days our agents rescued people from the All-American Canal,” said Assistant Chief Patrol Agent David Kim. “It’s regrettable that our agents were not able to get to the individual who drowned. Smuggling organizations are sending some of these individuals to their deaths by leading them to cross these dangerous waters.”

The rescued woman’s age and nationality were not readily available at the time of this release due to the medical treatment she was receiving.  The deceased individual’s body was turned over to the Imperial County Coroner’s Office for examination and identification.