A Guatemalan national who was left behind in the desert in high temperatures as she was attempting to cross illegally into the country was saved by border patrol agents after they found her non-responsive.
The woman was in medical distress, showing signs of suffering from a heat stroke, and was left behind by her guide because she couldn’t keep up with the group, according to a press statement issued by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol late Saturday night.
Border patrol agents from the Laredo Sector Border Patrol administered medical assistance to stabilize the woman and bring her body temperature down while they awaited Emergency Medical Services.
The agents found the woman near a ranch in El Cenizo, Texas. They had to carry the woman from the area where they found her, which was inaccessible to vehicles, to their vehicles to administer medical aid.
“The fact that these smugglers abandoned this young lady in the unforgiving terrain and left her to die with temperatures sweltering over one hundred degrees demonstrates how callous and heartless these smuggling organizations are,” said Laredo Sector Assistant Chief Patrol Agent Gabriel Acosta in a prepared statement.
“Had it not been for our agents’ determination to locate every single person in the group, she would have not received crucial medical assistance within the golden hour and this young lady would have succumbed to the extreme elements.” said Acosta.
Earlier this week, the Border Patrol shifted agents with medical and rescue training due to record-breaking heat in Arizona’s west desert, according to local K-5 TV. Daytime temperatures have climbed above 115 degrees and have triggered a spike in rescues.
The Border Patrol is shifting agents with medical and rescue training to southern Arizona’s west desert in response to a record-breaking heat wave.