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Immigrant crawls through desert
06/06/2001 08:04 - (SA)
San Diego - A suspected illegal immigrant with a broken leg who spent seven days crawling through remote mountain terrain was rescued by the US Border Patrol.
The man, whose identity and nationality were not released, drank stagnant water and his own urine to survive, Border Patrol
spokesperson Gloria Chavez said. He was found without shirt or
shoes, trembling and possibly hallucinating, she said.
"God bless you," he said in Spanish, when Border Patrol agents came to his aid.
An agent who often hikes through the Otay Mountains east of San Diego to check for illegal immigrants discovered the man on Tuesday morning. Chavez said he was in an area often used by illegal immigrants to enter the United States from Mexico.
He was rescued by helicopter and flown to a hospital where he was listed in fair condition. He was being treated for the broken leg
and severe dehydration.
"It's not very common that we find people in this type of
condition," Chavez said. "A few more days and this person would not
be alive."
The man told agents that a group of suspected illegal immigrants
found him a few days ago, gave him a little food and left him
behind. That food probably helped keep him alive, Chavez said.
Last month, 14 Mexicans died after crossing the border in the
southwestern Arizona desert, where they were walking a 113km route known as "The Devil's Path". A guide who
allegedly abandoned them faces 25 counts of smuggling.
Border Patrol agents in San Diego have rescued 331 people since October, officials said. - Sapa-AP
- SAPA
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