Snakebit Migrants Call for Help in California Border Mountains

CBP aircrew rescues injured Border Patrol agent in Arizona mountains. (Photo: U.S. Customs
File Photo: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Snake bites and dehydration from severe heat in the California desert mountains led migrants to call on Border Patrol for aid, which led to multiple air extractions and apprehensions.

In two separate incidents on July 5, San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents rescued two migrants in the Otay Mountain region near the California/Mexico border. One suffered a snake bite and the other became severely dehydrated from the desert heat, according to information obtained from San Diego Sector officials.

A Border Patrol agent patrolling on Otay Mountain on July 5 at about 1 p.m. encountered an adult male migrant in severe distress. The agent radioed for assistance.

A Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue (BORSTAR) unit responded to the scene and evaluated the Mexican illegal immigrant. A BORSTAR agent determined the man needed immediate medical attention due to heatstroke symptoms and ordered a helicopter extraction.

The helicopter that arrived did not have a winch, forcing agents and a Cal Fire rescue team to carry the victim out to a spot on the Otay Mountain Trail where the helicopter could land. The helicopter crew transported the Mexican national to the Cal Fire station in Dulzura, California. An EMS crew met the helicopter and transported the man to a hospital for further treatment, officials stated.

Following his treatment, doctors released the man to Border Patrol agents who promptly expelled him to Mexico under Title 42 Coronavirus protection protocols.

A few hours later, a San Diego County Sheriff’s Office deputy contacted Border Patrol to report a distress call in the Otay Mountain wilderness area. The deputy reported a 39-year-old woman suffered a snake bite — possibly venomous.

Border Patrol agents responded to the area and worked with EMS, a Border Patrol EMT, and a BORSTAR team to search for the woman, a Mexican national illegally present in the United States. Agents requested aerial support for an extraction.

The Aerial Support to Regional Enforcement Agencies (ASTREA) helicopter aircrew observed a group of people waving them down. The ASTREA helicopter with a Border Patrol agent on board hoisted the woman and airlifted her to a regional hospital for treatment.

Other Border Patrol agents arrived on the scene and interviewed the group of people who were with the woman. An immigration interview identified all six as Mexican nationals illegally present in the U.S. These migrants were immediately removed to Mexico under Title 42 authority.

The hospitalized woman will also be removed once released from the hospital, officials said.

“We have said it many times, do not place your life or the lives of your loved ones in the hands of ruthless smugglers,” San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke said in a written statement.  “These criminal organizations use dangerous routes and do not consider the life-threatening consequences. Thankfully, USBP and our partners were able to provide aid in time.”

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.

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