EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Specially trained Border Patrol agents and a Customs and Border Protection helicopter crew took part in a weekend mission to rescue a missing hiker in Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
On Sunday, Jan. 12, a CBP Air and Marine Operations AS350 helicopter crew from the Alpine, Texas air detachment worked with a U.S. Border Patrol BORSTAR team from El Paso on a search-and-rescue for a lost hiker in the Guadalupe Mountains. The AMO Alpine Air Unit AS350 crew was able to find the lost hiker at about 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.
A Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter and U.S. park rangers also helped in the search for the hiker.
Due to extreme winter weather conditions, the AS350 crew dropped off an AMO agent in an area below where the hiker was found to hike up to the missing hiker’s location and conduct an initial assessment, CBP said in a news release.
BORSTAR (Search, Trauma and Rescue) agents hiked two hours on the mountain to get to the rescue location and provide advanced medical care for the patient who was experiencing hypothermia symptoms, CBP said.
This included changing the hiker’s wet clothes for dry clothing. Agents also provided food and water and started a fire to warm him up until he could be transported further down the mountain via helicopter.
An initial helicopter evacuation was delayed due to poor weather and visibility. The patient was then transported by ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment.
“The conditions were extremely cold with temperatures in upper 20s Fahrenheit. The snowfall was significant and our BORSTAR agents made a significant physical effort to help rescue the hiker,” said Ricardo Cardiel, acting special operations supervisor, Special Operations Detachment, El Paso Sector. “BORSTAR agents are trained to conduct field trauma medicine in extreme conditions. This is the type of rescue our agents are trained to conduct.”
U.S. Border Patrol agents on the ground and Air and Marine Operations crews cooperate daily as they conduct their border security and humanitarian rescue missions, CBP said.
“I am very proud of our AMO crew and the U.S. Border Patrol BORSTAR team for their efforts in this rescue during very challenging winter conditions. Our agents’ training, preparation and conditioning really made a difference during this rescue,” said Efren Gonzalez, El Paso AMO air branch director.
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