WEBVTT 00:00:13.222 --> 00:00:15.140 Sir, let me see your silent partner card. 00:00:15.140 --> 00:00:16.016 Yes, sir. 00:00:20.103 --> 00:00:21.230 Tell me about your silent partner. 00:00:21.230 --> 00:00:26.109 Sir, Agent James P. Epling was born March 9, 1979. 00:00:26.109 --> 00:00:28.195 He entered on to duty January 13th... 00:00:28.237 --> 00:00:31.114 They recovered his body three days later approximately... 00:00:31.114 --> 00:00:36.078 On March 9, 1979, James P. Epling was born in Bremerton, Washington. 00:00:36.078 --> 00:00:40.082 Agent Epling entered on duty on January 13, 2003. 00:00:40.123 --> 00:00:44.086 He was graduate of class 537 of the Border Patrol Academy. 00:00:44.086 --> 00:00:48.215 James, Jimmy as we all knew him, he was just an all-around great guy. 00:00:48.215 --> 00:00:52.010 Jimmy was one of those kind of guys who made everybody his friend. 00:00:52.094 --> 00:00:56.056 On December 16, 2003, at approximately 7:00 PM, 00:00:56.056 --> 00:01:01.061 after responding to sensor activity along the Colorado River near Andrade,California, 00:01:01.061 --> 00:01:03.188 Agent Epling was reported missing. 00:01:03.188 --> 00:01:07.150 I answered the phone, he tells me over the phone he's like hey... 00:01:07.150 --> 00:01:09.152 I think we lost Jimmy. 00:01:09.152 --> 00:01:13.282 I'm like what are you talking about lost Jimmy, it didn't make sense 00:01:13.282 --> 00:01:18.036 and then he tells me that Jimmy went in after a group 00:01:18.036 --> 00:01:20.080 on the river and they can't find him. 00:01:20.080 --> 00:01:23.000 Agent Epling had apprehended two Chinese illegal immigrants 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:26.128 and bravely rescued another from drowning in the Colorado River. 00:01:26.128 --> 00:01:31.049 A massive rescue operation by BORSTAR, as well as multiple local, state, federal, 00:01:31.049 --> 00:01:34.177 tribal and foreign agencies was immediately initiated. 00:01:34.177 --> 00:01:36.096 His wife knew he was missing and everything 00:01:36.096 --> 00:01:39.099 and so myself and Ramsey and some other classmates, 00:01:39.099 --> 00:01:43.103 we stayed there through the night. I mean, it wasn't a - 00:01:43.103 --> 00:01:46.982 I guess, we weren't really really worried that something bad was going 00:01:47.024 --> 00:01:49.109 to happen, we were just more anticipating the phone call 00:01:49.109 --> 00:01:51.236 that hey you know Jimmys been found. 00:01:51.278 --> 00:01:56.074 It was around maybe 5:30 or so, I dozed off for a little bit. 00:01:56.074 --> 00:02:02.164 Woke up around 6:00 and still nobody had heard anything 00:02:02.164 --> 00:02:04.082 and that's kind of when it hit me that you know 00:02:04.082 --> 00:02:09.129 this is not really good, something really bad has happened. 00:02:09.129 --> 00:02:14.176 On December 19, 2003, at approximately 7:15 PM, with 00:02:14.176 --> 00:02:18.013 the aid of a underwater camera, Agent Epling's body was located 00:02:18.138 --> 00:02:20.140 29 feet deep in the Colorado River. 00:02:20.182 --> 00:02:23.268 The investigation revealed that Agent Epling died 00:02:23.268 --> 00:02:25.270 as a result of an accidental drowning. 00:02:25.270 --> 00:02:29.191 He had a big heart, he told me stories in the short time that 00:02:29.191 --> 00:02:34.029 he was working that one time they didn't make it to a young 00:02:34.029 --> 00:02:40.035 immigrant that died very, very close to the time that she was 00:02:40.035 --> 00:02:43.205 found, and he felt that if he ever had the opportunity 00:02:43.205 --> 00:02:47.167 to prevent that from happening again, that he would never lose 00:02:47.167 --> 00:02:51.046 another person and that played a big role in the day that he died. 00:02:51.046 --> 00:02:53.298 The impact of his death really hit home 00:02:53.298 --> 00:02:58.053 when a little more that one month later on January 28, 2004 00:02:58.053 --> 00:03:00.013 his son James was born. 00:03:00.013 --> 00:03:03.183 That's the blessing for me is that when I need that reminder 00:03:03.183 --> 00:03:06.019 I just look at them and I don't feel so sad. 00:03:06.019 --> 00:03:09.189 Anybody who has ever seen a picture of him just looks at them 00:03:09.189 --> 00:03:12.150 and they know that he's their dad. 00:03:12.192 --> 00:03:14.111 I wish we had known each other longer, 00:03:14.111 --> 00:03:16.071 I wish, you know, he was here today. 00:03:16.071 --> 00:03:22.035 Jimmy's life, there was a ton of meaning, there was a ton of purpose 00:03:22.035 --> 00:03:24.246 and it was cut way too short. 00:03:24.246 --> 00:03:26.123 He loved his job. 00:03:26.164 --> 00:03:30.168 He cared about his family and his wife and his children. 00:03:30.168 --> 00:03:34.005 You know, I mean, he was just one of those kind of people 00:03:34.089 --> 00:03:38.218 that you know, you miss every single day. 00:03:39.010 --> 00:03:41.179 James P. Epling was the first Border Patrol Agent to die 00:03:41.179 --> 00:03:44.266 in the line of duty following the formation of CBP. 00:03:44.266 --> 00:03:48.145 We continue to honor his sacrifice and the legacy of all the men 00:03:48.145 --> 00:03:51.022 and women who have lost their lives in the line of duty 00:03:51.064 --> 00:03:53.150 and who have served our nation proudly. 00:03:53.150 --> 00:03:56.069 As Police Week approaches this year, we demonstrate our 00:03:56.069 --> 00:04:00.198 profound gratitude to James P. Epling and all of our fallen heroes, 00:04:00.198 --> 00:04:02.159 as well as show our enduring support for 00:04:02.200 --> 00:04:04.286 their beloved surviving family members.