January 16, 2009, 2:21 p.m.
Stephen Ceasar
Tucson Citizen

U.S. Border Patrol agents rescued an illegal immigrant who was drowning in an irrigation canal and apprehended three others Tuesday near Casa Grande.

Agents from the Casa Grande Station responded to a call about four illegal immigrants hiding south of Highway 84 along an irrigation canal, Tucson sector spokesman Mike Scioli said Friday.

When agents arrived, they observed two of the individuals along the bank and two others attempting to swim across the canal. One in the water made it across and fled while the other appeared to be drowning, Scioli said.

Agents lowered themselves into the irrigation canal and used a rope to pull the man to safety, he said. The man was examined and was determined to be in good condition.

The suspect who fled was apprehended and the group was transported to the Casa Grande Station for processing. All four of the men are from Guanajuato, Mexico, Scioli said.

Fiscal 2008, a total of 459 rescues of people in distress were made in the Tucson Sector, U.S. Border Patrol figures show. Twenty-eight rescues have been made in the fiscal 2009, which began Oct. 1.

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