One drowns, another is rescued in canal

On Wednesday morning, El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents rescued a suspected undocumented immigrant from the All-American Canal east of Calexico, a Customs and Border Protection news release announced.

The incident occurred approximately 7:45 a.m. when agents assigned to patrol near the All-American Canal heard cries for help coming from the water.

Agents found a woman was in distress and struggling to swim to the canal bank.

Agents responded immediately and successfully pulled the woman to safety.

Agents assessed the woman and noticed she was suffering from shock and had signs of hypothermia. Emergency Medical Services arrived at the request of agents.

The woman was transported immediately to a local hospital for further evaluation and treatment.

The woman was able to tell the agents who had just rescued her that she believed there was another person in the water who was having a hard time swimming.

The El Centro Sector Border Search Trauma and Rescue Team was notified and responded to the area.

BORSTAR divers began their search of the canal and found a deceased individual a few hours later below the surface of the water.

The deceased individual’s body was turned over to the county Coroner’s Office for examination and identification.