Hypothermia strands 2 on California mountain after illegal border crossings, agents say

Two men who had entered the United States illegally ended up needing helicopter rescues from a rugged California mountain in separate incidents on the same day, U.S. Border Patrol agents say.

At 3:15 a.m. Nov. 10, agents patrolling Otay Mountain near San Diego found a 43-year-old man from Mexico who said he could not walk after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border unprepared for the cold, an agency news release says.

Agents treated the man, who lacked proper clothing for the chilly conditions, for hypothermia and called a helicopter to carry him to a hospital for treatment, the release says.

At 11:30 a.m., two other men who had earlier crossed the border illegally called authorities from the mountain for help, agents reported. A search team found the pair.

One, a 52-year-old man, was vomiting and told agents he was severely dehydrated, the release says. He also was airlifted to a hospital to be treated for hypothermia.

“Our agents save lives,” said Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke in the release. “Had our agents not been on patrol in these isolated areas, these men may have succumbed to the elements. Callous smugglers consistently lead migrants into danger and our agents deliver them to safety.”

San Diego-area Border Patrol agents have rescued or assisted 76 people since October 2019, according to the release.

This story was originally published November 18, 2020 at 10:58 AM with the headline "Hypothermia strands 2 on California mountain after illegal border crossings, agents say."