Rescue Beacon Helps Border Patrol Agents Rescue Several Illegal Immigrants, 1 Dies From Heat
LAREDO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – With temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit on June 10, U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to Laredo South Station rescued several lost individuals but lost one to heat-related injuries.
Agents received a notification from Laredo Police Department Dispatch regarding a woman in distress. They quickly found her but not before she succumbed to the sweltering heat. Border Patrol agents certified as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) tended to the woman but she later died at a local hospital.
The newly acquired Mobile Rescue Beacons (MRB) helped agents find other people who had crossed the border illegally between Rio Bravo and El Cenizo at separate times when they fell in distress. The beacons are designed to help those in distress and are strategically placed in rural areas in an effort to reduce the loss of lives.
An alert from the MRB gave agents an exact location that led them directly to one lost individual. EMTs evaluated him and determined he was in good health.
"Yesterday we highlighted Laredo Sector's new Mobile Rescue Beacons (MRB) in national news. Today, this new technology saved a life. The U.S. Border Patrol will always prioritize human life. It is vital to remember that the only safe place to cross the border is through a designated Port of Entry," said Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Carl E. Landrum.
While agents were tending to the second person, a call from Laredo Sector Law Enforcement Information Systems Specialists (Dispatch) alerted agents of two more individuals who had fallen in heat related distress. Minutes later, Zapata County Sheriff's Office Dispatch informed agents of an additional person in distress in the area.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air Asset arrived and helped agents in finding the lost individuals. Due to quick response time, they were found to be in good health.
