CASA GRANDE, Ariz. — The Border Patrol rescued 26 migrants suffering from heat-related illnesses Wednesday afternoon from the Tabletop Mountains south of Interstate 8.
The Border Patrol received a 911 call from the group, located about eight miles south of I-8. Four of the migrants required being flown to a hospital to be treated for severe dehydration and several others in the group were treated for heat-related illnesses.
The Table Top Mountains are located south of I-8 and west of Casa Grande in the Vekol Valley. It's a favored smuggling route because the mountain range is lightly traveled and because Table Top Mountain is easily visible for groups to navigate toward.
Summer in Arizona's deserts has always been deadly as temperatures soar and the few water sources in the desert dry up. Last year, 220 dead bodies were recovered in the state's desert, according to the Border Patrol. Two dead bodies were found in the Yuma Foothills earlier this week, according to the Border Patrol.
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