EAGLE PASS, Texas (Nexstar) — Border Patrol agents assigned to the agency’s Marine Unit in Eagle Pass rescued a family who was stuck in the waters of the Rio Grande River.
The family of five, identified by Customs and Border Patrol as Honduran nationals, were found clinging to the stone pillars of the International Bridge by agents conducting maritime operations, the agency reported. Agents deployed an airboat to the group and pulled the family from the water.
According to Customs and Border Patrol, the youngest in the group was six years old. The people rescued were in good health and refused medical treatment, the agency indicated, and the family was transported to the Eagle Pass South Border Patrol Station for processing.
“Every year multiple lives are lost to the inherent hazards of trying to cross illegally into the United States,” Del Rio Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Mathew Hudak said in a statement. “In Texas, one of the biggest perils that migrants can face is an unforgiving Rio Grande River. Fortunately for this family, the diligence and quick thinking of the Eagle Pass Marine Unit saved five more lives from certain tragedy.”
