8/13/07

Video: Sara Morris Reports on Increased Water Rescues

Water Rescue Calls Increase

A rash of border crossings in the past few weeks has kept rescue crews busy as illegal crossers take their lives in their hands.

On Sunday, El Paso fire crews found the body of a man in his 30s. It was the second body water rescue crews had found in the last three days.

On Friday, fire crews found another body, which has yet to be identified.

This happened just a few hours after fire crews rescued a man from the canal near Fonseca Street Thursday night. That man suffered only minor injuries.

Fire crews say all three people crossed illegally into the U.S. and somehow got stuck in the canal.

"It is, it is sad," said Claudia Rodriguez of West El Paso. Especially when they bring young kids, and sometimes they die out in the desert too and that is sad."

KFOX asked El Pasoans about to see what they would like to see done along the border.

"Either put a holding around it or simply cover the whole thing up, or maybe put a taller fence so they won't be able to get in as easy," Rodriguez said.

Putting up more barriers, like a wall, is something Congress considered, but failed to ever pass.

"Give them a 20-foot wall and they'll have a 20-foot ladder, said West El Pasoan J.J. Muro. "I mean, yes, it is a good idea to have the wall there, but even if the wall is there, people are still going to come over and come across."

Thats why Muro believes the solution to stop people from getting into the canals and possibly drowning is bigger than just creating barriers. He believes it all comes down to the government deciding on an immigration plan.

"The amnesty program the work permits, it all needs to be, you know, Congress needs to come together and work together with that, I guess work in unison so these issues can be resolved and less deaths in canals will occur," he said.

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