Four people, including a baby, were found drowned in the Rio Grande River along the US-Mexico border in Eagle Pass over the holiday weekend, an official said.
An unidentified woman and girl were found unconscious and “floating along the river” Saturday, Lt. Christopher Olivarez, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said in a statement. cheep.
The department’s tactical marine unit had initially responded to a request for assistance from the US Border Patrol for a “possible drowning of an infant,” he said.
Four people were recovered from the water and taken aboard a rescue ship, it said, adding that two of those people survived and were turned over to the US Border Patrol.
The woman and child were found to be unresponsive, Olivarez said. Rescuers immediately applied chest compressions and took them to a medical center, but the woman and child could not be saved, he said.
On Sunday, the body of an unidentified man was recovered from the river, and the body of an unidentified woman was found a day later on Monday.
“The identities of the deceased are unknown since none had identification documents,” Olivarez said.
The drownings came as Texas officials prepared to deploy floating sea barriers along parts of the Rio Grande in an attempt to discourage irregular border crossings. The first 1,000 feet were expected to roll out near Eagle Pass, Gov. Gregg Abbott said Announced last month.
“This strategy will proactively prevent illegal crossings between ports of entry by making it more difficult to cross the Rio Grande and reach the Texas side of the southern border,” Abbott’s office said in a news release.
Experts have warned that a recent persistent heat wave hitting the Southwest could be life-threatening for migrants and asylum seekers who often undertake long, arduous journeys in hopes of crossing into the US.
“People just don’t know what they’re dealing with,” said Laurie Cantillo, a board member and volunteer with Humane Borders, a nonprofit group that sets up water stations and delivers supplies to people trying to cross into the US. treacherous landscapes.
An oppressive heat wave has hit much of the South in recent weeks, bringing triple-digit temperatures to millions of people, with Texas particularly hard hit. However, this past weekend brought a respite to many in the state with cooler, but still warm temperatures. It was not clear if heat played any role in the deaths of the four people found over the holiday weekend.
