The family was attempting to cross the river near a floating marine barrier.
September 21, 2023, 11:32 AM
A 3-year-old child died on Wednesday as his family attempted to cross the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, Texas, a spokesperson for Texas Department of Public Safety told ABC News.
The agency says troopers with the Tactical Marine Unit responded to reports that a child had been swept away by the current. When troopers located the child, he was transported to a hospital but was pronounced dead, officials said.
DPS said the family was attempting to cross the river north of the floating marine barrier Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered authorities to install to help prevent migrants from crossing.
Mexicoâs national flag flies in the background as Army National Guard soldiers on rafts patrol past buoys deployed to deter migrants attempting to cross the Rio Grade river into the United States from Mexico in Eagle Pass, Texas, U.S. September 14, 2023.
Adrees Latif/Reuters
News of the child’s death comes as communities throughout the southern border are seeing an uptick in migrant arrivals.
Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas issued an emergency declaration on Tuesday.
During a phone call with ABC News, Salinas estimated around 4,000-7,000 migrants had arrived in the region “in the last few days.”
The Rio Grande River near Eagle Pass poses a significant risk to migrants who attempt to cross. Although some parts seem shallow enough to cross on foot, there are steep drop-offs in the area that can cause migrants to be swept away by the current, officials said.
Migrants wade past the Puente Negro Ferrocarril train bridge while navigating the Rio Grande river for an entry point into Eagle Pass, U.S. as seen from Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, September 15, 2023.
Adrees Latif/Reuters
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