A 25-year-old Mexican migrant who crossed the US-Mexico border found himself in serious trouble after becoming lost in the remote Jacumba Mountains for two days, Border Patrol officials said.
He had no water left and was “running out of time” when he made a distress call, setting off an urgent search by the agency’s El Centro Sector.
Agents quickly obtained his GPS location and coordinated response teams to track him down.
Air support was requested from multiple agencies as the search unfolded.
The rugged landscape complicated the operation, with the boulder fields limiting aircraft access.
“Although the difficult terrain limited aircraft access, every available resource was used in the effort to locate him,” Border Patrol said.
Agents eventually found the man in the rocky terrain. Photos released by the agency show him lying beneath the partial shade of a boulder on a hot California day somewhere on the outskirts of San Diego County.
After reaching him, officials used ice to cool him down. Medical personnel also evaluated him for possible health problems.
The man was safely rescued following the coordinated operation, though authorities did not say where he was taken.
“Every rescue requires coordination, urgency, and determination,” Border Patrol said. “This mission was no different.”
