Agents Rescue Mom, Toddler From Remote Area Of San Diego County

San Diego CA

15 December, 2020

12:41 PM

Description

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA — A mother and her 3-year-old daughter who had entered the U.S. illegally needed a helicopter rescue last week from a remote area in San Diego County, U.S. Border Patrol officials announced Monday. At about 9:45 a.m. Friday, agents were working near Otay Mountain in San Diego's East County when they found 14 people struggling to travel through an area known as Copper Canyon. The mom and toddler were becoming dehydrated and having difficulty hiking out of the canyon, officials said. Agents requested air support since the location was nearly two hours from area roads. Cal Fire rescuers aboard a San Diego County Sheriff's Department helicopter flew the pair to the Dulzura Fire Station, where they received first aid. Everyone, including the mother and child, were taken to a Border Patrol station for processing, officials said. "These rescues are a direct testament to the heart, soul and character of our agents," Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke said. "Crossing the border illegally remains an inherently dangerous endeavor and USBP takes every injury seriously. Migrants often become lost, injured and abandoned by smugglers, who only see them as commodities for exploitation."