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Border Officials Air Rescue Injured Illegal Migrant From Mountains

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Customs and Border Protection officials rescued an injured illegal migrant from the Arizona mountains, the agency announced Thursday.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations airlifted an illegal migrant out of the Baboquivari Mountains near Sasabe, Arizona, after the man sustained a severe broken leg injury and became stranded on Tuesday afternoon, according to CBP.

The injured illegal migrant started a signal fire that spread over an acre as strong winds blew across the mountains, according to CBP.

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A Black Hawk crew of five CBP agents responded to the incident and lowered a medical technician from the helicopter to assess the injured illegal migrant, according to CBP.

The medical technician stabilized the injured illegal migrant and the crew hoisted the man up from the mountains into the helicopter, video shows.

“Frequently, smugglers will send migrants across the border in small groups to overwhelm CBP resources in the area,” Tucson Air Branch Deputy Director Hunter Robinson said, according to CBP. “Unfortunately, these routes can be extremely treacherous and this individual was very fortunate he survived and we could use AMO resources to get him to safety.”

The injured man was evaluated by EMTs in the helicopter and taken to the Three Points fire department for medical treatment.