Agents Risk Their Lives to Save Drowning Migrant Family in Texas Border River

Del Rio Sector Border Patrol agents risked their own lives to rescue a migrant family from drowning in the Rio Grande on Saturday. The agents revived the father after the border river dragged him underwater for several minutes.

Eagle Pass Station Border Patrol agents patrolling the border shortly after sunrise on February 12 witnessed an entire migrant family fall into the Rio Grande when the ground they stood on collapsed. The mother, father, and small child began to struggle to stay afloat, according to information provided by Border Patrol officials.

With no regard for his own safety, one of the Border Patrol agents jumped into the swiftly moving river in a daring rescue attempt. Another agent threw a rescue bag to one of the migrants but it failed to reach the struggling family.

The agent in the river pulled the mother and child to the riverbank where other agents helped them ashore. The agent in the river braved the cold water once again to attempt to rescue the father.

The agent found the man who had been submerged for several minutes and pulled him to the riverbank. Other agents pulled the father from the river and began emergency aid, officials stated. EMS medics arrived and transported the family to a nearby hospital for evaluation and treatment.

Agents identified the family as migrants from Haiti. The doctors treated the five-year-old girl, and her 33-year-old father and 34-year-old mother and released them to the custody of Border Patrol agents.

“The truth: I’m never more proud, yet scared, as when these incidents occur…,” Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Jason D. Owens said in a tweet.