CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Six people, who illegally attempted to enter the United States, were rescued after being stranded in cold weather on Padre Island on Friday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi watch standers received a call at 6:42 a.m. about the group being stranded on the island north of the jetties near Port Mansfield. The stranded group told the dispatcher that they were in need of medical attention because of the cold weather, according to Coast Guard.
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The MH-65 Dolphin helicopter launched and deployed a rescue swimmer to help the individuals, according to Coast Guard. On-scene conditions included winds at about 25-28 mph with gusts up to 40, and an air temperature of 21 degrees.
The helicopter crew rescued the three non-citizens who needed immediate medical attention.
The group was taken to the Charles R Johnson Airport in Port Mansfield, officials said. The rescue crew returned to retrieve the last three individuals from the island.
Emergency medical services and Willacy County Sheriff’s Office personnel treated all six people and then transferred them to U.S. Border Patrol agents for further processing.
The five men and one woman were all reportedly in stable condition at the time of transfer, according to Coast Guard.
“We strongly discourage people from unnecessarily putting their lives and the lives of first responders at risk by needlessly and illegally attempting to enter our country,” said Jose Salazar, Willacy County Sheriff. “Thank you to the Coast Guard for their rapid response and rescue of these six individuals, as well as Willacy County EMS, Port Mansfield Police Department and U.S. Border Patrol for their involvement.”