Border Patrol agents rescue 65-year-old man from Rio Grande river

EAGLE PASS - U.S. Border Patrol marine agents from the Comstock station rescued a 65-year-old man who suffered two broken legs near a treacherous stretch of the Rio Grande River. Coordination between the government of Mexico and U.S. officials resulted in the rescue of the individual.

U.S. Border Patrol agents were conducting a routine patrol Feb. 27, approximately 50 miles northwest of Del Rio, when they noticed a man in severe pain and stranded on the Mexican bank of the Rio Grande River. After coordinating rescue efforts with the government of Mexico, agents steered their boat toward the suffering individual and determined that he had broken both legs while attempting to navigage the surrounding countryside. Mexican authorities were unable to reach the man's location due to the treacherous landscape and lack of roads.

"Hazardous terrain can add great risk to the inherent dangers of traversing remote areas," stated Acting Chief Patrol Agent Mathew J. Hudak in response to the event. "Thanks to the keen eye of our Del Rio sector marine agents, and with the coordination and support of our foreign partners, this man's story did not end greater tragedy".