EAGLE PASS, Texas – An immigrant couple and their baby nearly drowned while trying to cross the Rio Grande river into Texas early Monday, The Post has learned.
The mother and baby were rescued just before 7 a.m. by the Texas National Guard after nearly being “washed away” as they tried to cross “quick waters” in the hotly contested border area, National Guard sources said.
The baby was in a critical condition and had to be “stabilized” at the scene following the near-tragedy, another source added.
A photo obtained by The Post shows the baby wrapped in a silver hypothermic blanket, being rushed by troopers across Shelby Park to an ambulance for treatment.
The condition of the baby’s parents was not immediately known.
It was unclear if the father had to be pulled from the water or if he was able to scramble to safety on his own.
A few hours later, another child and three adults were also rescued after they were also swept away by strong currents, sources said.
Members of the Texas Department of Public Safety were able to pull them into the boat and bring them to shore, the source added.
The baby migrant was pulled from the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, Texas on Monday.
Representatives from the Border Patrol and the Texas Department of Public Safety did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
The ordeal occurred near Shelby Park, where Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered state troopers to erect fences, barricades and razor wire on the banks of the Rio Grande in an effort to prevent immigrants from crossing the border illegally.
The near-drowning comes just two weeks after another migrant woman and her two children drowned while trying to cross the same river.
In the incident, Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) was quick to claim that Texas officials had prevented federal officials from helping.
A second immigrant family also had to be rescued Monday and is pictured above being taken back by boat to Shelby Park. James Keivom Another child was pulled from the river later on Monday and also received medical treatment. James Keivom
However, the Texas National Guard claimed that the account was “completely inaccurate” and indicated that a drowning occurred and that Mexican officials had found the body by the time Customs and Border Protection officials requested access to Shelby Park.
Meanwhile, tensions continue to rise between federal officials and local authorities after Homeland Security demanded the state end its takeover of city parks and clean them up last week.
State authorities ordered to relinquish control of the 50-acre park on Friday at 1 p.m. but the entrance to the park remained guarded as of Monday and state troopers and law enforcement officers were still present.
An immigrant couple and their baby nearly drowned while trying to cross the Rio Grande river into Texas early Monday. James Keivom
Abbott, a Republican, has repeatedly blamed the Biden Administration for allowing a flood of illegal immigrants to flood the Texas border town.
While Biden claimed last year to be tough on illegal border crossings, figures released by the Border Patrol on Friday showed agents encountered a record 302,034 immigrants along the southwest border last month.
In addition, just under 500,000 people were deported in the eight months between May and the end of the year – less than one in five of the number of migrants found at the South West Border in 2023.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
