TUCSON, Ariz. – Border Patrol Agents responded to a 911 distress call and rescued two stranded children outside of Tucson, Arizona.
On August 28th, Border Patrol agents from the Tucson Sector Border Patrol responded to a 911 distress call of two children lost in the desert. Tucson Sector’s Three Points Substation, southwest of Tucson, Arizona, dispatched agents in a search and rescue effort to look for the unaccompanied minors who were reportedly lost near the town of San Miguel, on the Tohono O’odham Nation. The caller, a seven year old female and national of Guatemala was lost and stranded. She was traveling with her four year old sister, also a Guatemalan national. The two children had been deserted by smugglers and were traveling alone.
Agents immediately scoured the area in an effort to locate the unaccompanied minors after determining a possible location of the children based on coordinates received from the 911 call. Agents quickly located the two, who were given an immediate medical evaluation. Both children were found to be in good health and were transported to the Tucson Coordination Center for further processing. Once in Tucson, the Tucson Sector Border Patrol worked closely with the Guatemalan Consulate in an attempt to locate the children’s family.
This incident highlights the dangers faced by migrants at the hands of smugglers. Children in particular are extremely vulnerable, not only to exploitation, but also to the elements in the environment. The hard work of Border Patrol agents has accounted for over 500 rescues since beginning of the fiscal year. The Tucson Sector Border Patrol urges anyone in distress to call 911, as this may be the best chance a person has to save their own life.