WATCH: Uzbekistani Migrant Rescued from Texas Border River

A Del Rio Sector Border Patrol agent rescued an Uzbekistani woman with the help of an Air and Marine Operations agent. The woman appeared to be in danger of drowning in the Rio Grande.

U.S. Border Patrol Deputy Chief Raul Ortiz tweeted a video showing the rescue of the woman from the Rio Grande on November 23. “No matter what you hear, respect for life and #compassion for the vulnerable remain top priorities for #USBP agents,” Chief Ortiz tweeted. “Smugglers left this woman clinging for life. Agents took action to save her. They do this every. single. day.”

A Border Patrol agent patrolling the river just south of the Del Rio Port of Entry received information about a woman in distress. The agent responded and found the woman trying to cross from Mexico to Texas, according to officials.

The agent attempted to throw a water rescue device to the woman who was struggling to stay afloat in the current. The agent was unable to reach the woman with the device and eventually lost it, officials stated.

An Air and Marine Operations (AMO) EC120 helicopter aircrew responded to the scene. An AMO Air Interdiction Agent exited the helicopter with a rescue rope and ran to assist the Border Patrol agent, officials reported.

The two agents teamed up and eventually got the rope into the woman’s hands. They pulled the woman to the bank of the border river and helped her to safety. In the video, the woman can be heard crying for help.

EMS evaluated the woman and provided initial assistance before transporting her to a hospital. She will later be released to the custody of Border Patrol agents.

Once released, the Uzbekistani woman will be processed per CBP guidelines.

“The seamless coordination of our AMO agents and our Border Patrol partners was paramount to rescuing this woman,” Director of Air and Marine Operations, Uvalde Air Branch, Quinton Burough said in a written statement. “In remote areas, CBP personnel and resources are very often the only lifeline for those who find themselves in danger.”