YUMA, Ariz. — A Mexican national has died after falling 30 feet from a barrier positioned along the U.S.-Mexico border.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the man fell on Wednesday from a barrier located three miles south of the agency's Andrade Port of Entry in Winterhaven, Calif.
Because the man fell on the barrier's west side, agents from the Yuma Border Patrol Station had to unlock a gate in order for paramedics to reach the injured man.
An ambulance was not capable of driving through the gate, which forced Border Patrol agents to carry the patient for about a mile until paramedics could transport him to a nearby landing zone.
The man was flown to Abrazo West Campus Hospital in Goodyear and underwent emergency surgery. He died about eight hours later.
The Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office is investigating the man's death and CBP said it's reviewing the actions taken by Border Patrol agents.
CBP did not release the man's identity.
Wednesday's rescue is one of several CBP has responded to so far this year. The federal agency claims its agents have gotten more than 10,000 rescue migrant calls in 2021, which is a significant jump from the 3,400 calls received in 2017.
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