Border Patrol rescues 25 suffering from dehydration
Agency warns of dangers of crossing desert in summer
In 10 separate incidents over the weekend, Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents rescued 25 people suffering from varying states of dehydration, according to U.S.Customs and Border Protection.
As the temperatures rise, the Border Patrol is stressing the hazards faced when attempting to cross the Sonoran Desert and the legal consequences faced upon apprehension.
Smugglers continue to put lives in danger by leading illegal immigrants through the harsh desert terrain, often abandoning crossers when they are physically unable to continue, the agency said.
On Friday, agents from the Tucson Sector Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue Unit responded to an emergency call from four illegal immigrants near Big Fields.
Agents found a 33-year-old Mexican man in and out of consciousness. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment. BORSTAR agents treated the other three men at the scene for dehydration before taking them into custody for processing.
On Saturday, a citizen called to report an illegal immigrant who appeared to be in distress. A Casa Grande Station agent, who is a trained EMT, found the 27-year-old Guatemalan man suffering from severe dehydration. The man was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Of the 25 treated, 23 were Mexican nationals and two were Guatemalan citizens; all were in the U.S. illegally, the agency said.
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