YUMA, Ariz. – Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents from Wellton rescued two distressed males in two separate incidents on Friday.
On Friday morning, Wellton Border Patrol Agents from the Yuma Sector learned of a severely dehydrated alien while working a remote area. A Wellton Agent who is also an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) provided critical life-saving care until the alien was provided a higher level of care.
At approximately 11:45 a.m., agents at the Forward Operating Base (FOB), known as Camp Grip. learned of a single adult male in distress. The severely dehydrated illegal alien was found laying in the road approximately six miles west of Camp Grip. Far too dehydrated to hold any fluids down, a BPA EMT began administering life-saving aid in the form of intravenous fluids. The agent requested an immediate air evacuation. CareFlight dispatched a helicopter and flew the subject to Abrazo West Campus, a hospital in Goodyear, Arizona.
On Saturday morning, the 32-year-old male Mexican National’s kidney function improved and he was discharged from the hospital. On Saturday evening, the subject was expelled from the country due to the determination that aliens that require medical attention at a hospital or other medical facility for a short period are still subject to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) order and can be processed under Title 42 for expulsion.
In Friday’s second rescue, the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) notified the Wellton Station at approximately 8:50 p.m. of an emergency phone call they received. The emergency call pertained to an individual lost and in distress in a remote desert area approximately 10 miles south of Tacna, Arizona. YCSO provided the name and number of the individual along with two sets of Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) Coordinates of the approximate location the individual could be.
Wellton Agents were able to respond to the described location, where they located the subject at approximately 9:30 p.m. on the east side of the Copper Mountains.
The 47-year-old Mexican male was medically screened by a Yuma Sector BORSTAR agent and did not require further medical attention. Wellton agents conducted an immigration and criminal history screening on the subject. Agents determined that the subject was an illegal alien and national of Mexico, who was attempting to further his illegal entry through the desert, after having illegally crossed the border south of the location of encounter. The subject was expelled under Title 42 Authority.
Yuma Sector Agents are aware that with climbing temperatures, there may be increased rescue attempts in the upcoming months. Yuma Sector Agents are dedicated to safeguarding our citizens, while making every humanitarian effort possible to rescue anyone who places their life in peril by choosing to make the dangerous trek through the desert. This was the second rescue Yuma Sector Agents from Wellton performed on this same day.