A Mexican migrant who was found unconscious in a remote area of South Texas has died after being treated for nearly two weeks in a hospital. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shared the details of the case on Wednesday.
The man was discovered on September 20 in a rural part of Dimmit County, which is located about 43 miles southeast of Eagle Pass and 17 miles from the Mexican border. He was not alone — someone who was with him called for help, saying they were both lost and that the man had passed out and was shaking.
When Border Patrol agents arrived, they found the man in serious medical trouble, possibly suffering from heat stroke. Emergency medical help was called, but the nearest ambulance was 23 miles away. A Border Patrol emergency medical technician arrived first and gave the man fluids because he was in shock.
Since the ambulance was still far away, the agents decided to move quickly. They put the man into a Border Patrol truck and drove to meet the ambulance, which they reached around 5:30 a.m.
The man was first taken to Dimmit Regional Hospital, then later moved to Methodist Hospital Metropolitan in San Antonio. Sadly, after 11 days of treatment, he was declared dead on October 1.
CBP says its Office of Professional Responsibility is now reviewing the case, as is standard in these types of incidents. The situation highlights the dangers many migrants face while crossing through harsh and isolated areas in hopes of reaching safety.