Man dies, woman rescued in ocean near border

One person died and a second was rescued early Tuesday after the two tried to cross into the U.S. from Mexico by swimming past a border fence, authorities said.

A woman was reportedly clinging to the border fence that extends into the ocean at Border Field State Park when she was rescued by Tijuana lifeguards around 8 a.m., said San Diego FireRescue Department spokesperson Jose Ysea. She was brought to the U.S. side of the boundary to be checked out by lifeguards. She declined further treatment and was turned over to Border Patrol agents.

The woman told rescuers that she had been traveling with a male companion, but lifeguards did not see a second person in the water, Ysea said.

About a half-hour after the initial call, Imperial Beach lifeguards found the body of a man about 200 to 300 feet north of the border fence. The Medical Examiner’s Office was called to the scene, he said.

The ages of the man and woman who were found were unknown, Ysea said.

Man wounded in high school parking lot during holiday

A 20-year-old man was shot in the student parking lot of Helix High School in La Mesa on Memorial Day, police said.

A 911 caller near the campus on University Avenue reported hearing gunshots about 6:20 p.m. Police were told two cars left the school’s parking lot after the gunshots rang out and were given the descriptions of the vehicles, police Sgt. Dan Herrin said.

The school was closed for the holiday.

A few blocks away, on Parks Avenue, officers came across a parked Ford sedan that matched the description of one of the cars. The driver had suffered a gunshot wound to his leg, Herrin said.

Officers started first aid before paramedics arrived and took the man to a hospital. His wound was not considered life-threatening, Herrin said.

A detailed description of the shooter was unavailable.

Herrin said police believe neither the shooter nor the victim is associated with the school. The sergeant said the circumstances leading up to the shooting were under investigation.

Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to call the La Mesa Police Department at (619) 667-1400 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.