March 11, 2007, 4:34PM
Nicaraguan immigrants rescued from irrigation canal


© 2007 The Associated Press

EL PASO, Texas — U.S. Border Patrol agents rescued an illegal immigrant from Nicaragua on Sunday after the man was swept beneath the swift currents of an irrigation canal that parallels the Rio Grande.

Doug Mosier, a Border Patrol spokesman in El Paso, said agents found the man about an hour later clinging to a drainage tunnel about 600 yards from where they saw him disappear. "He was shaken but otherwise unharmed," Mosier said.

A second illegal immigrant also was pulled under by the current but managed to stay on top of the water and made it to land. He was taken into custody on the border highway.

Mosier said both would receive medical screening, be processed and then eventually returned to Nicaragua.

He said water levels are very high in the canal because of water releases from dams.

Agents spotted the men as they were trying to cross the canal.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/4620450.html